Kochi: In a first, a congregation of ex-Sabarimala Melsanthis and Tantris will be held at Aluva Manappuram on May 27 and 28. Named ‘Saranaveedhi’, the ritualistic event jointly organized by the Akhila Bharatheeya Ayyappa Dharma Prachara Sabha (ABAP) and the Sree Sabarimala Dharma Sastha Alangad Yogam will witness poojas as performed at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple.
“A total of fifty ex-Melsanthis of Sabarimala and Malikapuram and three ‘Tantris’ will attend. Poojas such as ‘Mahaganapathi homam’ will be performed under the guidance of ‘Tantris’ Kantaru Rajeevaru, Kantaru Mohanaru, and Kantaru Mahesh Mohanaru – the members of Thazhamon family who are the traditional priests of the Sabarimala temple,” said Ayyappa Das, General Convenor, ‘Saranaveedhi’.
The organisers are expecting over a lakh devotees, mainly women, to turn up at the ground. “The event is open to women who are not allowed at the Sabarimala temple as part of an age-old tradition. The poojas are performed by priests who were earlier the ‘Melshantis’ at the Lord Ayyappa temple,” he said.
As a prelude, a chariot procession will start from the ‘Chembola Kalari’ in Alangad on May 24 and cover 50 places before reaching Manappuram on the eve of the event. Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa practiced weaponry at the training centre known as ‘Chembola Kalari’ in Alangad at the age of 10 and that the Lord led a team of warriors (known as Alangad sangham) of the kalari in a battle against ‘Maravas’.
Also a directory containing the telephone numbers of ex-Melshantis and a website ‘sabarimalamelshanti.com’ will be launched on the occasion. Devaswom Board President Prayar Gopalakrishnan will inaugurate the two-day event.
