<p>Heavy rush of devotees from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were witnessed at the sanctum sanctorum when the Lord Ayappa temple opened last evening for the two-month Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.<br /><br />Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Travancore Devaswom Board administering the hill shrine and various government departments for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage season.<br /><br />The rituals began with the Chief priest Kandararu Maheswararu performing the 'Ashtadravya Ganapati' homam followed by 'Ashtabhishekom' and 'Neyyabhishekom' (ghee offering).<br /><br />About three crore devotees are expected to trek the holy hillock during the season, additional chief secretary, K Jayakumar, who is the Special Commissioner for Sabarimala.<br /><br />He said a buffer stock of 19 lakh cans of Aravana prasadasm (a sweet delicacy) were prepared and production of appam started few days back.<br /><br />The work of roofing of 'Nadappanthal' (a pandal) on the northern side of Sannidhanam (sanctum sanctorum) was completed.Self-contained toilet blocks were provided at various points along the Pampa-Marakkoottam trekking path, besides resting places at Appachimedu and Sabaripeethom, TDB chief engineer K Ravikumar said.<br /><br />The health department opened dispensaries at Pampa and Sannidhanam. Sree Ayyappa Medical Centre at Pampa opened by Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi provides advanced health care facilties.</p>
<p>Heavy rush of devotees from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were witnessed at the sanctum sanctorum when the Lord Ayappa temple opened last evening for the two-month Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.<br /><br />Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Travancore Devaswom Board administering the hill shrine and various government departments for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage season.<br /><br />The rituals began with the Chief priest Kandararu Maheswararu performing the 'Ashtadravya Ganapati' homam followed by 'Ashtabhishekom' and 'Neyyabhishekom' (ghee offering).<br /><br />About three crore devotees are expected to trek the holy hillock during the season, additional chief secretary, K Jayakumar, who is the Special Commissioner for Sabarimala.<br /><br />He said a buffer stock of 19 lakh cans of Aravana prasadasm (a sweet delicacy) were prepared and production of appam started few days back.<br /><br />The work of roofing of 'Nadappanthal' (a pandal) on the northern side of Sannidhanam (sanctum sanctorum) was completed.Self-contained toilet blocks were provided at various points along the Pampa-Marakkoottam trekking path, besides resting places at Appachimedu and Sabaripeethom, TDB chief engineer K Ravikumar said.<br /><br />The health department opened dispensaries at Pampa and Sannidhanam. Sree Ayyappa Medical Centre at Pampa opened by Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi provides advanced health care facilties.</p>