Sabarimala, Thursday 23 December 2010: The ceremonial procession carrying ‘Thanka Anki,’ golden attire of the presiding deity at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, will set off to Sabarimala from the Aranmula Parthasarathy temple today.

Officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board said that an Ayyappa idol decorated with the golden attire would be kept at the “Aanakkottil” of the Parthasarathy temple from 4.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. on that day for devotees to offer prayers.

The sacred attire will be taken in procession in a motorised chariot up to Pampa and from there to the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, in a specially designed wooden box by Ayyappa Seva Sanghom volunteers.

The procession, escorted by armed police and Travancore Devaswom Board personnel, will halt at the Raktakanta Swami temple at Omalloor, near Pathanamthitta, on the night of December 23.

It will reach the Muringamangalam temple, near Konni, the next evening and will halt at the Sastha temple at Perinad in the evening of December 25. The procession will reach Pampa in the forenoon of December 26.

The board authorities will receive the golden attire when the procession from Pampa reaches Saramkuthi in the afternoon. The idol at the Sabarimala temple will be adorned with the golden attire prior to Deeparadhana at 6.30 p.m. The idol will be so decorated again prior to Mandalapuja between 12.15 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. on December 27.
The temple will be closed after Athazhapuja later in the evening, marking the culmination of the 41-day Mandalam festival.

(News agency)