The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will open on Wednesday for the five-days long monthly pujas, followed by the 10-days long annual festival.
Head priest P.N. Mahesh Namboothiri will open the temple in the presence of the Chief Priest (Tantri) Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu by 5 p.m. during the day. This will be followed by the opening of the various upadevata temples on the hillock. The devotees will be permitted to climb up the 18-holy steps soon afterwards.
The flag hoisting ceremony for the annual Painguni-Uthram festival will be held between 8.30 a.m and 9 a.m on March 16.
The Utsavabali ritual will be performed on all days till March 24 and the Pallivetta ceremony will be held at Saramkuthi on March 24 evening. The Pallivetta procession will set off from the Sannidhanam to Saramkuthi after the Athazhapuja and will return to the temple by midnight.
The arat ceremony, marking the culmination of the 10-day festival, will be held at the specially prepared arat kadavu in the Pampa on March 25. The Tantri will bring down the ceremonial flag as soon as the procession reaches back at Sannidhanam, marking the end of the annual festival.
