Several thousand devotees on Thursday witnessed the Makaravilakku and Makarajyothi, the high point of the Mandala-Makara annual pilgrimage at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.

After the traditional procession carrying the ‘thiruvabharanam’ was received at Sannidhanam, all eyes turned toward Ponnambalamedu where the celestial star Makarajyothi appeared in the skies at around 6.45 pm.

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Lakhs of devotees thronged the Sannidhanam and its surroundings for the Makaravilakku darshan in an atmosphere filled with sharana mantras. Special arrangements were made at Pullumedu, Parunthumpara and Panchalimedu for Makaravilaka darshan.

Earlier, the Thiruvabharanam procession was accorded a traditional reception at Saramkuthi at 5.30 pm. The reception was held even as the tempo from the temple percussion instruments played by Ayyappaseva Sangham volunteers and artists added to the solemnity.

As the procession made its way towards the golden flag mast of the Lord Ayyappa temple at 6 pm, the Devaswom officials received the Thiruvabharanam.The  Makarasamkrama Puja will be held at Sannidhanam at 8.45 PM

Meanwhile, former Judge Justice Indu Malhotra, who wrote a dissenting order on the Sabarimala women entry case, visited Sabarimala shrine on Friday.

In the verdict in the case on allowing women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, it was Justice Malhotra who dissented against four other Judges.

In her judgement, Justice Malhotra had said that what constitutes an “essential religious practice” is for the religious community to decide, and not the court. “It is not for the courts to determine which of these practices of a faith are to be struck down, except if they are pernicious, oppressive, or a social evil like Sati,” she said in her judgment

Earlier in August 2022, Justice Malhotra got into a controversy after a video emerged of her remarking that the Communist Governments were “taking over” Hindu temples across the country. She was interacting with devotees outside the Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram when she made the comment.