Sabarimala Temple Opens on March 22 for Annual Festival; Arattu on April 1
Sabarimala,Keralam: The annual festival at Sabarimala Temple is set to begin with the reopening of the sanctum sanctorum on March 22 at 5:00 PM. The ceremonial Kodiyettu (flag hoisting), marking the official start of the festivities, will be held on March 23 between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM during an auspicious muhurtham.
From March 24 to March 31, the ritual Utsava Bali will be performed daily following the noon pooja. In addition, from March 27 to March 30, the Sreebhoothabali and Vilakk Ezhunnallathu processions will take place every evening after the sanctum opens at 5:00 PM.
The Pallivetta ritual, scheduled for March 31, is expected to attract a large number of devotees. Authorities may implement crowd-control measures on the day to ensure the smooth and safe movement of pilgrims, with possible darshan restrictions in the evening around 7:00 PM.
On April 1, darshan for devotees will be permitted only until 7:00 AM.
The Arattu ceremony will be held on April 1 at the Pamba River. The procession will commence at 9:00 AM from Sannidhanam to Pamba. Following the sacred ritual bath, the procession will return, and the temple will close at 10:00 PM.
The ten-day Painkuni Festival is observed simultaneously at both Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Sabarimala, featuring key rituals such as Kodiyettu, Pallivetta, and Arattu.
Devotees seeking darshan at Sabarimala must book slots through the virtual queue system available online [www.sabarimalaonline.org]. Accommodation at Sannidhanam can also be reserved via the official website of the Travancore Devaswom Board [www.onlinetdb.com].
Annual festival celebrations under the Travancore Devaswom Board are underway across major temples in Kerala. Festivities have already commenced at Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple and Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple.
Meanwhile, celebrations at Peringlipuram Sree Bhuvaneshwari Temple in Chengannur, Alappuzha district, are scheduled to commence on March 23, with the Arattu ceremony to be held on April 1, marking the grand conclusion of the annual festival.