Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple Opens for Panguni Month Pooja with New Darshan Arrangements
The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple is a sacred pilgrimage site where devotees gather every year to worship Lord Ayyappa and fulfill their spiritual vows. During special pooja periods, devotees from across the world visit Sabarimala to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of Lord Ayyappa.
For this year’s Panguni Month Pooja, the temple doors were ceremoniously opened yesterday evening. Following this, from today until March 19, various religious rituals, including annadhanam (food offerings), special poojas, abhishekams (sacred bathing ceremonies), maha deeparadhana (grand lamp offering), and homams (fire rituals), will be performed with devotion.
Final Pooja and Closing of the Temple
As part of the conclusion of the Panguni pooja period, on March 19, after the Athazha Pooja (night pooja), the divine hymn “Harivarasanam” will be played, filling the temple with a deeply spiritual atmosphere. Once the ritual is completed, the temple doors will be closed at 10:30 PM with proper religious observances.
New Darshan Arrangements for Devotees After Climbing the 18 Sacred Steps
With the increasing number of devotees visiting the temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board has introduced a new system for darshan to improve the flow of devotees and reduce waiting time.
Earlier, after climbing the 18 sacred steps, devotees had to take the elevated bridge route to enter the sanctum. However, with the new arrangement, devotees will now proceed directly from the Kodimaram (flagstaff) to the temple entrance in two separate queues, allowing for a smoother and faster darshan experience.
Guidelines for Devotees
- Devotees must follow the queue system while entering the temple.
- When climbing the 18 sacred steps, it is customary to wear Rudraksha beads and carry holy turmeric, vibhuti (sacred ash), and sandalwood paste in their Irumudi Kettu (sacred offering bundle).
- After reaching the Kodimaram, devotees must proceed directly to the temple entrance following the newly designated routes.
This new system is expected to significantly reduce waiting time and congestion, ensuring a more peaceful and hassle-free darshan for all devotees. Many devotees have already expressed their appreciation for the improved arrangements by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Key Information for Sabarimala Darshan:
✅ Temple Opening: The temple has been opened for Panguni Month Pooja.
✅ Temple Closing: The temple doors will close at 10:30 PM on March 19 after the final pooja.
✅ New Darshan Route: After climbing the 18 sacred steps, devotees can proceed directly from the Kodimaram to the temple entrance without taking the bridge route.
✅ Devotee Instructions: All devotees must follow the new system to ensure a smooth darshan experience.
With these new changes, Sabarimala darshan is expected to be more convenient and comfortable for devotees. For further updates, devotees are advised to follow the official announcements from the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa! ????
