Thanka Anki Jatra has started at Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Aranmula from Sunday. | Photo Courtesy: Leju Kamal
As preparations for Mandala Puja gather pace at Sabarimala, a ceremonial procession carrying the sacred golden dress, ‘Thanka Anki’, began its journey from Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Aranmula on Sunday (December 22, 2024).
In the morning, the holy clothes kept for darshan in the temple for two hours were brought in a motor chariot in the midst of devotional atmosphere. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Chairman PS Prashant and District Police Chief VG Vinod Kumar were present on the occasion.
A grand reception will be held at various locations before reaching Pampa on Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The main deity will be adorned with a gold dress at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in a ceremony before the Mandla Pooja the next morning.
Weighing 420 sovereigns, the ‘Thanka Anki’ was installed at the Sabarimala temple in 1973 by the late Chithira Thirunal Balaram Varma of the erstwhile Travancore royal family.
In preparation for Mandla Puja, authorities have stepped up crowd control measures at the Sabarimala shrine. Virtual queue bookings and spot entries have been restricted for December 25 and 26. Entry to the hill will be limited from 1 pm on Wednesday to facilitate the arrival of the Thangka Anki procession. Pathanamthitta district collector S Prem Krishnan said the ban was lifted after the procession reached Sannidhanam at 6:15 pm.
As of December 21, the number of devotees visiting the Sabarimala temple this season has reached 28.93 lakh – an increase of 4.45 lakh over last year. Among them, 23.42 lakh pilgrims booked slots for darshan at the temple through the virtual queue system, while over 5.01 lakh used the spot booking window. 60 thousand 304 devotees reached the hill through Satram-Pullumedu footpath.
published – December 22, 2024 06:15 PM IST