'Makara jyothi' at Sabarimala

Thousands of Ayyappa devotees from different parts of the country thronged the famous Sabarimala temple to witness 'Makara Jyothi' (a celestial light) that flickered across the eastern horizon over the hills. The 'jyothi' appeared within seconds after 'deeparadhana' was performed to the presiding deity Lord Ayyappa on the auspicious Makara Sankramam this evening. The temple and surroundings were packed with pilgrims who chanted 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' when the Sanctum Sanctorum was opened for 'deeparadhana darshan'.

The idol of the presiding deity was adorned with 'Thiruvanbahranam' (holy jewels) brought to the shrine in a ritualistic procession moments before the auspicious occasion. Tens of thousands of pilgrims had reached the hill shrine and its base camp Pamba hours before the occasion to have the darshan, which marked the finale of the two-month long annual pilgrimage season which had drawn millions to the temple.