Thiruvabharanam Procession Begins from Pandalam to Sabarimala for Makaravilakku
The Thiruvabharanam procession started its journey from Pandalam on Monday afternoon. This sacred event carries the ornaments that will adorn Lord Ayyappa during the Makaravilakku festival. The procession travels on foot along the traditional route. It is expected to reach Sabarimala by Wednesday evening.
Preparations and Rituals Before the Journey
The Thiruvabharanam ornaments were stored securely in the Pandalam Srampickal Palace. On Sunday night, the palace management committee shared the list of ornaments with the devaswom authorities. The boxes containing the ornaments were sealed for safety.
Early Monday morning at 4am, the locker room opened. Workers removed the ornament boxes from the palace. Guruswami Maruthuvana Shivankutty and his team transported the ornaments to the Valiyakoikkal temple. Devotees had the opportunity to view the ornaments there before the procession began.
Traditional Ceremonies Mark the Start
Traditional ceremonies for the procession commenced around noon. Representatives from the royal family blessed the procession members with sacred ash. The melsanthi handed over a ceremonial sword to the palace representative. This sword was then passed to the royal representative leading the procession.
At 12.50pm, workers packed the Thiruvabharanam into boxes. The melsanthi performed the nirajanam ritual. The royal representative exited the temple and boarded a palanquin. The procession set off promptly at 1pm when the boxes were taken out of the temple.
Key Bearers and the Route Ahead
Guruswami Shivankutty carries the main box containing the 'Thiru mukham'. Kulathinalil Unnikrishnan bears the second box with ritual items. Kizhakkethottathil Prathapachandran Nair holds the third box containing the flag and Jeevatha.
The procession will stop at the Ayiroor Puthiyakavu Devi temple on the first day. On the second day, it travels via Edappavoor and Perunad. The group will rest at the forest department's facility in Laha. On the third day, the procession passes through Plappally, Nilackal, Neelimala, and Sabaripeetam.
It will reach Saramkuthi where devaswom authorities receive it. The tanthri and melsanthi will accept the Thiruvabharanam at Sannidhanam. Lord Ayyappa will wear the ornaments during evening rituals. This coincides with the lighting of Makaravilakku at Ponnambalamedu.
