Thanka Anki procession begins at Sree Parthasarathy Temple in Aranmula on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: LEJU KAMAL
As preparations for the Mandala Puja gather momentum at Sabarimala, the ceremonial procession carrying the sacred golden attire, ‘Thanka Anki,’ began its journey from Sree Parthasarathy Temple in Aranmula on Sunday (December 22, 2024).
The sacred attire, after being displayed for darshan at the temple for two hours in the morning, was taken out on a motorised chariot amid an atmosphere charged with devotion. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prashanth and District Police Chief V.G. Vinod Kumar were among those present on the occasion.
The procession will receive grand receptions at various points before arriving at Pampa at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The golden attire will adorn the main deity at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in a ceremony preceding the Mandala Puja the next morning.
Weighing 420 sovereigns, the ‘Thanka Anki’ was offered to the Sabarimala temple by the late Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma of the erstwhile Travancore royal family in 1973.
In preparation for the Mandala Puja, the authorities have ramped up crowd control measures in the Sabarimala pilgrimage zone. Virtual queue bookings and spot entries for December 25 and 26 have been restricted. Entry to the hillock will be limited from 1 p.m. on Wednesday to facilitate the smooth arrival of the Thanka Anki procession. Once the procession reaches Sannidhanam at 6:15 p.m., the restrictions will be lifted, said Pathanamthitta District Collector S. Prem Krishnan.
The number of devotees visiting the Sabarimala temple this season has reached 28.93 lakh as of December 21 – marking an increase of 4.45 lakh compared to last year. Of these, 23.42 lakh pilgrims booked slots for darshan at the temple via virtual queue system, while over 5.01 lakh utilised the spot booking window. As many as 60,304 devotees reached the hillock through the Sathram-Pullumedu trek path.
Published – December 22, 2024 06:15 pm IST