Makara Jyothi Enchants Pilgrims at Sabarimala Amid Tight Security
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In a spectacular display of devotion, thousands of pilgrims gathered at the revered Sabarimala temple in Kerala on Wednesday to witness the 'Makara Jyothi' ritual, the highlight of the annual Makaravilakku festival. The event, which saw stringent security measures in place, began with the sighting of the 'makarajyothi' star in the eastern horizon, followed by the appearance of the 'makaravilakku' light in the Ponnambalamedu hills. As the temple's sanctum sanctorum reopened after the Deeparadhana pooja, the air was filled with the chants of 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa.' According to tradition, Lord Ayyappa is believed to reveal himself as a star in the sky on this auspicious occasion. Earlier in the day, the 'thiruvabharana' procession, carrying sacred jewels from the Pandalam palace, arrived at the temple premises around 5:30 pm after a three-day journey. Top officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) welcomed the procession, and the jewels were taken into the sanctum sanctorum just before the 'deeparadhana' pooja at 6:25 pm. To manage the crowds on the festival's most popular day, around 2,000 police personnel were deployed in and around the temple premises. While 30,000 pilgrims had booked their slots through virtual queues, 5,000 spot bookings were allowed as per the Kerala High Court's orders. To ensure safe return of pilgrims and prevent congestion at Pampa and Nilakkal, additional services of state-run KSRTC buses were arranged. TDB president K Jayakumar informed that specific vantage points were installed for pilgrims to view the 'Makaravilakku' in the Ponnambalamedu hills. He also noted that 5.1 million pilgrims had offered prayers at the temple between November 16 and January 12, generating revenue of ₹429 crore during this period. In comparison, the same period last year saw 4.8 million pilgrims and revenue of ₹380 crore.
