Pathanamthitta: The annual Mandala Pooja season at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala began with a grand ceremony on Saturday. Arun Kumar Namboothiri, the newly appointed Melshanti (head priest), officially opened the sanctum sanctorum at 3 am, welcoming thousands of devotees who gathered to offer prayers.

The temple echoed with 'Saranam' chants as pilgrims arrived in large numbers. By Saturday, 70,000 devotees had booked their darshan through the virtual queue system, with another 10,000 expected to join through spot bookings. Pilgrims began arriving at Sannidhanam on Friday in anticipation of the event.

The temple will be open for darshan from 3 am to 1 pm and then again from 3 pm to 11 pm. Each day will begin with 'Neyyabhishekam' at 3.30 am, followed by 'Ushapooja' at 7.30 am, and 'Uchapooja' at 12.30 pm. In the evening, 'Deeparadhana' will take place at 6.30 pm, and 'Athazhappooja' at 9.30 pm. The temple has extended darshan hours to 18 hours daily to accommodate the large number of pilgrims.

The virtual queue for the first 14 days of the season is fully booked, with only a few remaining slots for November 30. As of November 29, all virtual queue slots were filled, and entry will now be permitted only through spot bookings. Each day, 10,000 devotees will be allowed to book their darshan via spot bookings, available at Pampa, Erumeli, and Sathram (Vandiperiyar). Reports indicate heavy crowds at the Pampa spot booking center.

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