Sabarimala temple to open on October 17

PATHANAMTHITTA: Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will be opened for the five-day monthly poojas for the Malayalam month of Thulam on October 17.      As a practice, no ritual will be conducted in the evening. Sahasrakalasam and Kalabhabhishekam would be the special rituals to be conducted on the monthly pooja days, Sabarimala executive officer M Satheesh Kumar said.    Udayasthamana pooja, Padi pooja and Pushpabhishekam would be the other poojas to be held on all the five days.New melsanthi selection: The selection of the new melsanthis for Sabarimala and Malikappuram Devi temples will be held in front of the  Sopanam at 8 a.m. on October 18 after Usha pooja, Satheesh Kumar said. The shortlisted melsanthi aspirants of nine each for Sabarimala and Malikappuram were selected at an interview held at the devaswom headquarters on October 3 and 4.  The final melsanthi selection, on the basis of draw of lots, would be held under the leadership of Sabarimala special commissioner Jagdeesh and in the presence of Travancore Devaswom Board president M Rajagopalan Nair, members K Sicily and K V Padmanabhan and devaswom commissioner N Vasu. New melsanthi to take charge on Nov 17: The new Sabarimala melsanthi, for a period of 12 months, will take charge on the first day of the Mandalam-Makaravilaku season on November 17.  Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu will conduct the installation ceremony by performing kalasabhishekam on the new melsanthi in front of the Sreekovil immediately after the temple opens on November 16 evening.