Kerala: Sabarimala Temple shines during the grand Karpoorazhi festival

Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], December 24(ANI): A grand and colourful spiritual parade lit up the Sabarimala temple on Tuesday evening, as devotees gathered to witness the traditional Karpoorazhi festival. The event, held during the pilgrimage season, showcased the shrine's rich cultural heritage through music and lighting.
Sabarimala witnessed a vibrant Karpoorazhi procession organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board, offering a unique spiritual experience to pilgrims. The procession, accompanied by fire torches, thakil, nadaswaram, karpoorazhi, muthukuda, chenda melam, kavadi teams, shinkari melam and tableau displays, began from the Kodimaram after deeparadhana on Tuesday evening. Passing through the Sopanam and Malikappuram, the procession reached the Nadappanthal with the active participation of Devaswom Board employees.
Tuesday morning, the ceremonial procession carrying the golden attire, known as the Thanka Anki, for Lord Ayyappa commenced from the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, marking a vital ritual ahead of the Mandala Pooja at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam.
The sacred journey of the Thanka Anki began at around 7 am, accompanied by devotees and temple officials. The procession signals the start of the countdown to the Mandala Pooja, which concludes the 41-day Mandala pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala temple.
The Thanka Anki, an exquisite golden attire, was donated by the late Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore. The sacred ornament is transported in a specially decorated chariot as part of the traditional ritual.
As the procession moved along its customary route near the temple, a large number of devotees gathered to offer prayers and catch a glimpse of the sacred attire. Devotees were also seen receiving 'prasadam' provided by the pilgrims accompanying the procession.
Heavy police security was deployed to safeguard the golden chariot, pilgrims, and devotees throughout the journey, with measures in place to manage crowds and ensure smooth procession movement.
Traditionally, the Thanka Anki chariot stops at several temples en route to Sabarimala. Authorities also expect a large turnout of pilgrims this year, based on trends from previous pilgrimage seasons. Last year, over 32.50 lakh devotees visited the Sabarimala temple during the pilgrimage period.
The Thanka Anki is scheduled to arrive at the Sabarimala temple on December 26, ahead of the evening Deeparadhana. On the occasion of the Mandala Pooja, the idol of Lord Ayyappa will be adorned with the golden attire, marking a significant ritual of the pilgrimage season.
Lord Ayyappa, worshipped as a warrior deity, is revered for his devotion to Dharma. He is believed to be the son of Lord Shiva and the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu and is also known as Hariharaputra. (ANI)