Lakhs witness ‘celestial light’ at Sabarimala

Sabarimala, Jan 14 (IANS) Lakhs of Sabarimala pilgrims witnessed the celestial light that appeared on the horizon thrice on Saturday evening.

The sighting of this celestial light, which in local parlance is called 'Makara jyothi' and takes place every year on the first day of the Malayalam month in January, is believed to be the ultimate for a pilgrim.

According to temple authorities Saturday's crowd is believed to be the highest at the famed temple.

The 'Makara jyothi' is the most awaited event in the two-month-long Sabarimala temple season.

On Saturday evening at around 6.45 p.m. the celestial light appeared thrice on the horizon.

State Devasom Minister and senior CPI-M leader Kadakampally Surendran, who was present at the temple, told the media that every inch of space at the famed temple town and also on the neighbouring hills was filled with pilgrims.

The Sabarimala temple is situated on the Western Ghat ranges, four kilometres uphill from Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala.

The temple is accessible only on foot from Pamba.

In the next few days, the nearly two-month-long Sabarimala festival will come to a close and the temple will be open on a few days during the beginning of every Malayalam calendar month.

Like in the recent past, the pilgrims from neighbouring South Indian states have now overtaken the pilgrims from Kerala and this time the collections from sale of 'appam and aravana' and the money received in the offertory box is all set to break all previous records.