Thiruvabharanam' procession sets off to Sabarimala

Pathanamthitta (Kerala), PTI: The annual ceremonial procession carrying "thiruvabharanam", the sacred jewellery of the Lord Ayyappa, set off to Sabarimala from a shrine in Pandalam here on Sunday. The auspicious jewels are to be adorned on Lord Ayyappa on the day of 'Makaravilakku' festival, which falls on January 14.

Besides the representatives of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body, a large number of devotees also accompanied the "Thiruvabharana ghoshayathra', the procession, to the hill temple. Keeping with decades-old tradition, the 'thiruvabharanam' was shifted from the strong room of Srambickal Palace in Pandalam to the adjoining Valiyakoickal Sastha temple, earlier in the day for the devotees to have darshan.

The TDB officials received the jewels from the palace authorities and took it to the Sastha temple, where a large number of devotees thronged to have a glimpse of it and offer prayers. After the customary rituals and poojas amid "Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa" chants, the sacred jewels were kept in wooden boxes and then taken to Sabarimala by a dedicatedgroup of people.