Choroonu Ceremony at Sabarimala: Here’s How to Book and Conduct It
Sabarimala: Devotees wishing to conduct the traditional Choroonu (first rice-feeding ceremony) for their children at Sabarimala can do so during the upcoming Mandalam pilgrimage season. The ceremony can also be booked online through the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) official website under the Pooja Bookings section.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
The Choroonu ceremony at Sabarimala has several unique features. Many devotees bring children aged six months and above to the hill shrine to perform the ceremony and seek the blessings of Bhagavan Ayyappa.
At Sabarimala, the food offered for the Choroonu ceremony includes the payasam and rice prepared as offerings for the morning Usha Pooja, along with salt and tamarind. The ceremony is conducted not only during the Mandalam season but also during most monthly pooja periods, except in the Malayalam months of Kanni and Karkkidakam.
Devotees can perform the Choroonu ceremony by paying a ₹300 offering fee. The ceremony is held beneath the flagstaff (Kodimaram) at Sannidhanam.
The Choroonu is conducted as an offering, similar to other customary vazhipadu ceremonies at the temple.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
The number of Choroonu ceremonies has traditionally been relatively low due to the difficulties of bringing very young children to Sabarimala. However, the ceremony has seen growing interest among devotees in recent years.
All official links for Virtual Q, Pooja Bookings, accommodation and other Sabarimala services are available at www.sabarimalaupdate.in., along with booking guidance and details of the requirements for devotees.
Devotees planning to conduct the ceremony can reserve their Choroonu offering online through the TDB’s official website by selecting the Pooja Bookings section.