SABARIMALA: Amid controversies and flood of complaints on lack of facilities for devotees in Sabarimala, the temple opened for Mandalam season on Friday evening.

In the presence of Sabarimala thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, the incumbent chief priest A V Unnikrishnan opened the temple and awoke the temple deity from dhyana nidra (meditative sleep) and lighted the lamp inside.

Following this, the chief priest lighted lamps in other sub-deities’ temples, climbed down the 18 steps and lighted Azhi (where ghee smeared coconuts halves are used as fuel for fire) .

There is no special pujas today. Later in the evening. anointment of new priest Mannarkkady Thachanattakam Kandoorkunnu Varikkasseri Mana V N Vasudevan Namboothiri took place. Abhisekham was performed on the new priest. After that the current priest led him to the sanctum sanctorum and shared the knowledge of moola (basic) mantra and rites with him.

Following this, the anointment of new Malikappuram temple priest Thiruvandoor Eramallikkara Mambatta Ellathu M N Narayanan Namboothri also took place.

From Vrichikam 1 (Saturday), new priests will open the temple.