The annual Mandala Pooja and Makara Vilakku Pooja festivals celebrated in the famous Sabarimala Sri Ayyappan swamy temple are hugely popular.
During this festive period, devotees from far-away places all over the country arrive in Sabarimalai to participate in the special Poojai and have the darshan and blessings of the Lord Ayyappa.
Apart from the festivals like Manadala Pooja and Makara Vilakku Pooja, the Sabarimalai temple corridors are opened for 5 days from the 1st day of every Tamil calendar month, on the Visu and Onam festival days, and during Panguni Uthiram festival period. During these periods, several special pooja and prayers are performed daily.
In a similar way, for the beginning of the Tamil calendar month Vaikasi, the temple corridors of Sabarimala temple were opened at 5.30 PM yesterday (Sunday, 14th May).
A huge gathering of devotees with irumudi on their heads visited the temple and had the darshan of Lord Ayyappa. However, subsequent to the opening of the temple corridors, no special pooja were performed.
Starting from 15th May, the temple corridors would be opened at 5.00 AM and several special pooja like Nirmala Darisanam, Ganapathy Homam, Ghee (Clarified butter) Abhiskeham, Usha Pooja, Ucha Pooja, Deeparadhanai, Pushpabhishekham, Atthazha Pooja, Padi Pooja and other special pooja are being performed.
After performing Athazha Pooja on 19th May, the song Harivarasanam will be sung and then the temple corridors of the Sabarimalai Swami Ayyappan temple will be closed at 9.30 PM.