Sabarimala temple opens today

SABARIMALA: The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa will open Sunday evening for the annual Niraputhari festival, marking the beginning of the harvest season, slated to be celebrated on August 6. Melsanthi G Valamurali would open the sreekovil in the evening at 5.30 pm in the presence of tantri Kadararu Maheswararu. As a practice, hardly any ritual would be conducted in the evening. Niraputhari ceremony would be held between 5.30 am and 6.10 am on Monday. As part of the festival, tantri Maheswararu would distribute paddy spikes to the devotees after performing pooja inside the sreekovil.