Sabarimala pilgrims served sadya from today, food for 5000 devotees prepared

PATHANAMTHITTA: Started serving Kerala Sadya to pilgrims as part of aannadhanam in Sabarimala. Sadya will be served on alternate days. Devaswom Executive Officer O G Biju lit a lamp and offered the sadya to Lord Ayyappa at 12 noon. Sadya was then served to the pilgrims waiting for the annadanam. Steel plates and steel glasses are used for the sadya. The sadya is served with parippu, sambar, rasam, aviyal, achar, thoran, pappadam and payasam. Aviyal and thoran will change each day. One of the dishes served will be either buttermilk, rasam or pulisseri. Each day, a different type of payasam will be included in the sadya. The executive officer told media that the sadya was delayed due to the delay in the technical facilities and that he hopes that with the blessings of the Lord Ayyappa, the god of food, will be able to serve the sadya on the following days as well. 'The decision to serve the sadya to the devotees was taken with the aim of making the taste of Malayalam sadya available to the devotees who come to Kerala as part of our culture. It is believed that the devotees will accept this. Every day, five thousand people participate in the annadhanam at noon. Sadya is also prepared for more than five thousand people. Sadya and pulao will be served to the devotees on alternate days,' he said. The decision to serve the sadya in Sabarimala from today was taken at the Devaswom Board meeting held on December 19. Two members expressed displeasure with the announcement by president K Jayakumar that the sadya would be served before the board discussed it. After resolving all these issues, Kerala sadya was served in Sabarimala today. Meantime, Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru said the muhurtham for this year's mandala puja will be between 10.10 and 11.30 am on December 27. The Deeparadhana associated with the puja will be completed at 11.30 am. The procession carrying the Thanga Anki to be worn by Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy for the mandala puja will leave Aranmula Parthasarathy temple at 7 am on December 23.