The five-day pooja during the Kumbham month is celebrated with great religious fervor at the famous Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. The temple opened its doors to the devotees on Feb 13, Thursday afternoon and will close after the conclusion of the rituals on Feb 18, Tuesday.
The five-day pooja during the Kumbham month is celebrated with great religious fervor at the famous Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. The temple opened its doors to the devotees on Feb 13, Thursday afternoon and will close after the conclusion of the rituals on Feb 18, Tuesday.
Head priest of the temple, opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of the Chief Priest, Tantri Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu and the Devaswom Board officials on Thursday.
He lit the lamp on the 18 holy steps, following which devotees were allowed to climb the holy steps to visit the shrine. Thousands of devotees thronged to the shrine on Thursday evening, as per reports.
The five-day pooja began on Feb 14, Friday with the Tantri performing a Ganapati homam in the morning.
Meanwhile, a nine-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, is handling the issue of the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, which is pending in the apex court. During a hearing of review petitions against entry of women between ages 10-50 into Sabarimala, issues on essential religious practices and rights of worship to women were considered.
The bench will deliberate on the 'larger issues pertaining to the matter' and will not make a decision on the Sabarimala review petition.
Lawyers appearing for cases of women's rights to worship and gender discrimination in religious sites, were directed by the top court to meet on Friday to decide the issues they wanted the court to hear, in the next three weeks.
Head priest of the temple, opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of the Chief Priest, Tantri Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu and the Devaswom Board officials on Thursday.
He lit the lamp on the 18 holy steps, following which devotees were allowed to climb the holy steps to visit the shrine. Thousands of devotees thronged to the shrine on Thursday evening, as per reports.
The five-day pooja began on Feb 14, Friday with the Tantri performing a Ganapati homam in the morning.
Meanwhile, a nine-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, is handling the issue of the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, which is pending in the apex court. During a hearing of review petitions against entry of women between ages 10-50 into Sabarimala, issues on essential religious practices and rights of worship to women were considered.
The bench will deliberate on the 'larger issues pertaining to the matter' and will not make a decision on the Sabarimala review petition.
Lawyers appearing for cases of women's rights to worship and gender discrimination in religious sites, were directed by the top court to meet on Friday to decide the issues they wanted the court to hear, in the next three weeks.