All set for Makaravilakku festival today

SABARIMALA: Arrangements are in place for Makaravilakku and Makarajyothi darshan at the famed Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala on Friday, according to the Travancore Devaswom Board which manages the shrine.

Pilgrim footfall has seen a sharp surge from across the country. The customary procession carrying Thiruvabharanom (sacred jewellery of the presiding deity) set off to Sabarimala from the Valiya Koyikkal Sree Dharma Sastha temple in Pandalam on Wednesday. The auspicious Makaravilakku

festival falls on January 14 and the shrine would be closed on January 20.

District Collector Divya S Iyer has directed the local bodies in Pathanamthitta district through which the procession passes to make the necessary arrangements. The presiding deity will be adorned with the sacred jewellery prior to ‘Aaarathi’ ritual on Friday evening.

The Forest Department had been urged to restore the forest route through Pullumedu. Anticipating a further rise in pilgrim arrivals, TDB has opened more counters to distribute prasad.

The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will operate more services to Pamba, TDB president K Ananthagopan said. The authorities have intensified checks against COVID-19 protocol violations in the pilgrimage zone. A special squad led by Duty Magistrate K Gopinath carried out inspections at strategic locations.

The pilgrims were also permitted to ascend the hill shrine through forest routes from Erumeli and Vandiperiyar.

The authorities have intensified checks against COVID-19 protocol violations in the pilgrimage zone