A sea of pilgrims on Tuesday braved massive rush and hours-long queues to offer prayers at the famed Lord Ayyappa shrine here on the day of ‘Makaravilakku’, which marks the culmination of the over two-month-long annual pilgrimage season.Clad in the customary black attire and wearing bead-chain, the pilgrims, cutting across ages, waited in the high-range temple paths since morning to have a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa, the principal deity, on the auspicious day.
The humid climate and the long queues did not seem to dampen the spirit of Ayyappa devotees, who chanted the “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa” mantra, carrying the ‘irumudi kettu’ (the traditional bundle a devotee brings to the shrine) on their heads.
In the evening, the holy jewels — ‘thiruvabharanam’- were brought to the hill shrine from the Pandalam palace, nearly 85 kilometres away, in a ceremonial procession that had begun two days ago.
Soon after the sacred jewels reached the temple, the idol of Lord Ayyappa was adorned with the holy ornaments, the ‘deeparadhana’ (aarati) was performed and the doors of the shrine were opened.
The “maha deeparadhana”, after adorning the idol with the sacred jewels, was performed at 6.43 pm and the auspicious “makara Jyothi” was witnessed at 6.44 pm.
The chants of hymns and mantra intensified in the temple complex when the portals of the shrine were opened.