Sabarimala Temple Closes After Mandala-Makaravilakku Festival, Sees Significant Rise in Pilgrim Numbers
The revered Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple concluded its annual Mandala-Makaravilakku festival, with the temple doors closing this morning. The ritualistic closure took place at 6:45 AM, following the darshan by Punartham Nal Narayana Varma, the representative of the Pandalam royal family.
The day’s ceremonies commenced at 5 AM with the opening of the temple doors. A Ganapathi Homam was performed at the eastern mandapam. Subsequently, the sacred ‘Thiruvabharanam’ (ornaments) return procession embarked on its journey back to the Pandalam Srambikkal Palace. A contingent of 30 members, led by Periyaswami Maruthuvana Shivankutty, carried the precious ornaments along the traditional route. The procession is slated to arrive at Pandalam Srambikkal Palace on January 23.
Head priest E.D. Prasad Namboothiri conducted the Vibhuti abhishekam for the idol of Lord Ayyappa, adorning it with a Rudraksha garland and a Yogadandam. After the chanting of ‘Harivarasanam’ and the extinguishing of the temple lamps, he exited the Sreekovil, closed the sanctum doors, and ceremoniously handed over the keys to the royal representative.
Following a ritualistic ceremony upon descending the holy 18 steps, the royal representative transferred the bunch of keys to Sabarimala Administrative Officer S. Sreenivasan. This handover occurred in the presence of Devaswom Executive Officer O.G. Biju and the head priest. A money pouch designated for the monthly puja expenses was also presented. The departure of the royal representative to the Pandalam Palace marked the official conclusion of another pilgrimage season.
This year’s Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season witnessed a significant surge in pilgrim numbers at Sabarimala. According to official statistics, a remarkable 5,439,847 pilgrims undertook the darshan between November 16, 2025, and January 19, 2026. This figure represents a substantial increase compared to the previous year’s pilgrim count.
The Virtual Queue (VQ) system proved to be exceptionally popular, with an impressive 4,998,862 pilgrims utilizing it for darshan this season. Additionally, 202,731 pilgrims accessed Sannidhanam via the Pullumedu route. The total number of arrivals, encompassing those who used the Mukkuzhi path, staff, and VIPs, reached 238,254. For comparison, the 2024-2025 pilgrimage period (November 15, 2024, to January 19, 2025) recorded 5,309,906 pilgrims.
In essence, this year saw an increase of approximately 1.3 lakh pilgrims compared to the same period in the previous year. The most notable growth in darshan numbers was specifically observed through the highly efficient Virtual Queue system, highlighting its increasing adoption and effectiveness in managing pilgrim flow.