Tue Dec 24 19:09:10 UTC 2024: ## Sabarimala Temple’s Mandala Pooja Set for December 26; First Phase of Pilgrimage to Conclude
**Sabarimala, Kerala:** The first phase of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage will conclude on December 26th with the Mandala Pooja, a key ritual. The ceremony, performed by temple tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, will take place between noon and 12:30 pm. This follows the arrival of the ceremonial thanka anki procession from Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple, expected in Pamba by Wednesday afternoon. The sacred attire will then be placed on the Lord Ayyappa idol before the temple closes at 11 pm.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President, P S Prasanth, announced these details at a press conference, also revealing that the temple will reopen on December 30th for the Makaravilakku festivities, culminating on January 14th. To manage the crowds, virtual queue bookings are limited to 50,000-60,000 for December 25th and 26th, and 50,000 and 40,000 for January 13th and 14th respectively, in accordance with a High Court directive. Spot bookings are capped at 5,000 per day.
Over 3 million pilgrims have visited the temple this season, a significant increase of nearly 4.46 lakh compared to last year. The TDB also announced the revival of the Pamba Sangamam cultural event for January 12th and the release of new golden Lord Ayyappa lockets for the Makaravilakku festival.
First Piper 