Sabarimala Temple Fest Kodiyettu on Tuesday

PATHANAMTHITTA: The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala will open on Monday evening for the celebration of the annual 10-day festival, which will begin on March 27. Kodiyettu, the ceremony marking the beginning of the festival would be held under the leadership of Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu in the presence of Melsanthi G Balamurali between 9.30 a.m. and 10 am on Tuesday, Sabarimala Devaswom Executive officer M Satheeshkumar said.UtsavabaliUtsavabali, the important ritual to be held during the annual festival days for the Hill Gods of Lord Ayyappa, would be held on the seven days from March 28 at 11.30 a.m., Satheeshkumar said.Utsavabali DarsanThe devotees would get the facility for Utsavabali darsan on all the ritual days at 2 p.m., he said.VilakkinezhunnellippuVilakkinezhunnellippu, the procession carrying the thidambu of Lord Ayyappa, would be taken out on three days at 9.30 p.m. from April 1 to 3, Satheeshkumar said.PallivettaPallivetta, one of the important rituals to be held on ninth day of the festival, would be held on April 4. As part of the ritual, the procession carrying the Thidambu of Lord Ayyappa, would be taken out from Sopanam at 9.30 p.m. to the pallivetta  venue at Saramkuthi.After the ritual, the procession would return to Sopanam from Saramkuthi at 10.30 pm. On reaching Sopanam at 11.30 p.m., ‘Pallikuruppu’ would be held at Nalambalam at 11.50 p.m.ArattuArattu, marking one of the concluding ceremonies of the festival, would be held at Arattu Kadavau in Pampa river in front of Sree Ganapathi temple at 11.30 a.m. on April 5, Satheeshkumar said.As part of the Arattu ceremony, the procession carrying the thidambu of Lord Ayyappa on caparisoned elephant would taken out from Sannidhanam at  9 am. On reaching Pampa, the procession would be accorded a traditional reception.