The Hindu : Kerala News : Thousands witness Makarajyothi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 16, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Thousands witness Makarajyothi

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, JAN. 15. Thousands of people witnessed the auspicious Makarajyothi, a bright light that appears at the Ponnambalamedu, from the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple on Makarasankrati day on Friday.

The devotees had occupied even the rooftops of buildings at the Sannidhanam to have a glimpse of the celestial light.

A procession carrying `Thiruvabharanam' from the Pandalam Palace reached the Sannidhanam at 6.25 p.m. on Friday. The Tantri, Kantaru Mohanaru, and the Melshanti, V. Muraleedharan Namboodiri, then took the jewels to the sanctum sanctorum for decorating the Ayyappa idol. The `deeparadhana' was performed at 6.45 p.m. There was pin-drop silence at the holy hillock for the next few seconds. The bright star Makara was sighted on the eastern horizon.

The Makarajyothi was sighted at the Ponnambalamedu at 6.48 p.m. It flickered three times, leaving the devotees in a divine ecstasy. The entire atmosphere was charged with Ayyappa sarana mantras and the devotees danced in a divine frenzy. The Makarajyothi darshan is believed to bring good luck to the devotees.

At 5.42 a.m. on Friday, the Tantri had performed Makarasankrama pooja at the temple.

Police service

The 1,700-strong police force did a good job in controlling the crowd at the Sannidhanam and its precincts. The Additional Director General of Police, Ramesh Chandra Bhanu; the Inspector General of Police, Rishiraj Singh; the special officers M.R. Ajithkumar and Ashok Yadav; and the Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police, T. Chandran; monitored crowd control at the pilgrim centre.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president, G. Raman Nair, Punalur Madhu and M.B. Sreekumar, both TDB members, Arijith Pasayat, judge of the Supreme Court, and other dignitaries were among those present at the Sannidhanam to witness the Makarajyothi.

Rush continues

Reports from Sabarimala say that the rush of devotees continued for the fifth day at the temple today. Pilgrims had to wait for hours together on the trekking path for the holy darshan this forenoon.

The heavy outflow of vehicles from the parking lots at Pampa and Nilackal caused traffic congestion on the Pampa-Plappally stretch of the main trunk road to Sabarimala this morning.

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