From Pazhavangadi to holy hills: Areekkara Subramanian Sankaran Namboothiri is new chief priest of Sabarimala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Areekkara Subramanian Sankaran Namboothiri just stepped out of the sanctum sanctorum in Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathi Temple after deeparadhana when the good news reached him.

It felt like divine intervention to learn that he had been selected as the new chief priest of the Sabarimala temple. In that moment of contentment, he offered prayers to Pazhavangadi Ganapathi, then silently invoked Lord Sastha of Sabarimala, who filled his thoughts.

By then, media personnel started arriving. Following the news reports on television channels, his mother, Valsala Antharjanam, and his children, Goureeshankari and Parthasarathi, also arrived. After speaking with the media, Subramanian Sankaran Namboothiri re-entered the sanctum sanctorum to resume the ritual worship.

The rituals concluded around 11:30 am. By then, people—including several prominent figures—began arriving to congratulate the chief priest. Many of the devotees present at the temple were initially unaware of the matter; they learned about it only after inquiring with the media personnel. In the evening, the chief priest was honoured by certain organisations.

Although originally from Kottayam, Namboothiri has been a resident of Thiruvananthapuram since 2012—the year he arrived to serve as the *Melshanthi* (head priest) at the Thycaud Sree Dharma Sastha Temple. In 2020, he became the *Melshanthi* at the Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple. He resides in a flat on Ambuja Vilasam Road in Pulimoodu.

On Monday, Namboothiri will start his pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Afterwards, there will be a return to the Pazhavangadi Temple. On the 30th of Thulam, Namboothiri will climb the holy hills once again to assume charge as the chief priest.