Pathanamthitta, Sunday, October 16, 2011: Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will be opened tomorrow for the five-day monthly poojas for the Malayalam month of Thulam that begins on October 18.

Sahasrakalasam and Kalabhabhishekam would be the special rituals to be conducted on the monthly pooja days, Sabarimala executive officer M Satheesh Kumar said.

Udayasthamana pooja, Padi pooja and Pushpabhishekam would be the other poojas to be held on all the five days.

The selection of the new melsanthis for Sabarimala and Malikappuram Devi temples will be held in front of the Sopanam at 8 am on October 18 after Usha pooja, Satheesh Kumar said.

The shortlisted melsanthi aspirants of nine each for Sabarimala and Malikappuram were selected at an interview held at the devaswom headquarters on October 3 and 4. The final melsanthi selection, on the basis of draw of lots, would be held under the leadership of Sabarimala special commissioner Jagdeesh and in the presence of Travancore Devaswom Board president M Rajagopalan Nair, members K Sicily and K V Padmanabhan and devaswom commissioner N Vasu.

The new Sabarimala melsanthi, for a period of 12 months, will take charge on the first day of the Mandalam-Makaravilaku season on November 17. Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu will conduct the installation ceremony by performing kalasabhishekam on the new melsanthi in front of the Sreekovil immediately after the temple opens on November 16 evening.

(News agency)