Niraputhari fete held at Sabarimala Temple

SABARIMALA: Thousands of devotees offered darsan at Lord Ayyappa temple on the Niraputhari festival day on Friday. The ceremony, the celebration marking the beginning of the harvesting season, was held between 5.30 a.m. and 6.40 a.m.As part of the ceremony, the procession carrying the paddy spikes brought from various places, including those from the Kowdiar Palace of the Travancore royal family, led by Thantri Kandararu Rajivaru and Melsanthi Sasi Nampoothiri, was taken out from the Sopanam.After circumambulating the sreekovil, the paddy spikes were taken to sreekovil for poojas.The paddy spikes were distributed by Thantri Rajivaru to the devotees who gathered in front of the sreekovil for witnessing the rituals. For Lord Ayyappa, the “Nivedyam” offered inside the sreekovil was p re p a re d f rom t h e newly-harvested paddy.Travancore Devaswom Board president M Rajagopalan Nair, member K Cicily, Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu, special commissioner Panchapakesan, TDB former president G Raman Nair and Sabarimala executive officer M Satheesh Kumar were among those who witnessed the ceremony.Sahasrakalasam and kalabhabhishekam were the special rituals held at the temple in connection with the festival. Udayasthamana pooja, pushpabhishekam and padi pooja were the other rituals conducted.The shrine was closed in the evening after athazha pooja and Harivarasanam.The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa will be reopened on August 16 evening for the celebration of Malayalam New Year day, slated to be held on August 17.