Sabarimala, Monday 15 November 2010: The two-month-long pilgrimage to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa will begin tomorrow with the opening of the sanctum sanctorum portals, even as Ezhikode Sasi Namboodiri will commence his duties as the new chief priest of the temple for an year.

Over 30 million pilgrims, mostly from the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka trek to the hill every year to offer worship to Lord Sreedharama Sastha.

According to temple officials here, elaborate arrangements have been made to manage flow of devotees at ‘Sannidhanam’ atop Sabarimala and the base camp on the banks of River Pampa.

The 41-day first phase of the pilgrimage is known as ‘Mandala pooja’, followed by ‘Makaravilakku,’ culminating in mid-January. Hundreds of police personnel have been deployed for security and crowd management during the pilgrimage.

(PTI)