Pathanamthitta (Keralam) [India], October 18 (ANI): Areekkara Subramanian Sankaran Namboothiri has been selected as the new Melsanthi (chief priest) of the famed Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala for the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
Ahead of assuming his sacred duties, the newly appointed chief priest is scheduled to visit the Kalighat temple to offer prayers and seek divine blessings.
The selections were finalised through the traditional draw of lots held at the Sannidhanam on Sunday morning, where a child from the Pandalam royal family drew the lot to decide Sabarimala’s new chief priest.
Expressing profound gratitude following his selection, the newly appointed Sabarimala Head Priest Areekkara Subramanian Sankaran Namboothiri called it a divine blessing.
“I consider it a great blessing that Lord Pazhavangadi Ganapathy has given me the opportunity to serve as the head priest of Lord Sree Dharma Sastha at Sabarimala. I pray that the Lord gives me the strength to discharge this responsibility with the utmost sincerity, honesty, and dedication,” he said while speaking to ANI.
He further emphasised that his priority would be ensuring a hassle-free pilgrimage for the lakhs of devotees arriving at the hill shrine.
“I pray that everything goes smoothly and that no devotee faces any difficulty. Every devotee visiting Sabarimala should have the best possible darshan, and I pray to the Lord for His blessings to make that possible,” Sankaran Namboothiri said.
“I consider this an immense privilege and blessing. Being able to serve at a temple where devotees undertake great hardships to have darshan of the Lord, and to perform poojas for Him, is a great fortune. I will carry out this responsibility with a deep sense of devotion and commitment,” he added.
Meanwhile, Damodaran Namboothiri has been selected to serve as the Melsanthi at the Malikappuram Devi Temple.
The annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season will be held soon to attract millions of devotees from across the country to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, requiring extensive logistics, crowd management, and healthcare infrastructure.
The Keralam government is preparing to transition from short-term seasonal fixes to a comprehensive, long-term infrastructure overhaul at Sabarimala, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K Jayakumar said on Saturday. (ANI)
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