Thousands throng Sabarimala for Mandala Pooja

Thousands of devotees today offered prayers at the famous Lord Ayyappa shrine here on the occasion of 'Mandala pooja'.
This marks the conclusion of the initial phase of the three-month-long annual pilgrimage season.
The shrine was closed after the rituals and it would be reopened on December 30 evening for the Makaravillaku festival which falls on January 14 next year, temple authorities said.
Pilgrims thronged the shrine chanting, "swamiye saranam ayyappa" since morning to witness the special poojas and 'deeparadhana' (aarti).
Many of them had to wait for hours for darshan of the presiding deity.
The idol of Lord Ayyappa was adorned with the glittering 'thanka angi' (holy jewels) when the sanctum sanctorum was opened for mandala pooja in the afternoon.

According to officials, there was a heavy rush of pilgrims after the arrival of the golden attire, which was brought in a ceremonial procession from the Sree Parthasarathi Temple at Aranmula yesterday.
Police made elaborate arrangements for crowd management.