A day ahead of the beginning of Mandala season, the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple will be opened today at 5 pm. Head priest N Parameswaran Namboothiri will open the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru.
The annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season begins on November 17. The induction ceremony of appointed Sabarimala Melshanti Jayaraman Namboothiri and Malikappuram Melshanthi Hariharan Namboothiri will also be held in the evening.
The 41-day Mandala puja festival will conclude on December 27.
The temple will be opened again on December 30 for the Makaravilakku pilgrimage on January 14, 2023. The shrine will be closed on January 20, concluding the pilgrim season.
Devotees have to book online for the darshans and for those who could not, live booking facilities have been set up in Nilakkal. Police will examine the tickets near Anjaneya auditorium in Pamba.
Name of the devotee, date of birth, address with pin code, scanned copy of an identity card have to be uploaded to book the slots on the website sabarimalaonline.org
No booking is required for children below 6 years of age.