ED Prasad chosen as Sabarimala Melsanthi, Manu Namboothiri to serve at Malikappuram
The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family.
The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family.
The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family.
Pathanamthitta: E D Prasad from Chalakudy has been selected as the new Melsanthi (chief priest) of the Sabarimala temple. The selection was made through the traditional draw of lots held at Sannidhanam around 8 am on Saturday. Prasad, a member of the Erannoor Mana in Chalakudy, is currently serving as the Melsanthi of the Areshwaram Sree Dharma Sastha Temple.
An ardent Ayyappa devotee, Prasad expressed happiness over his selection as the chief priest. He added that he would like to reach the shrine at the earliest. "I am very happy. Words fail to express my happiness. I cannot ask for anything more," the priest added.
The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family. He is the son of Shailendra Varma from Thiruvalla Paliakkara Palace and Pooja Varma from Vailyakottaram Krishnavilasam Palace in Mavelikkara. Kashyap, a fifth-grade student at Digitalis Primary School in Almere, Netherlands, was chosen to perform the draw in line with the 2011 Supreme Court directive based on the report by Justice (Retd) K T Thomas, which mandates that children from the Pandalam royal family conduct the draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi selection.
Manu NamboothiriM G has been selected as the Melsanthi of the Malikappuram temple. The draw for this post was conducted by Maithili of the Pandalam royal family. Maithili, a fourth-grade student at Samhita Academy School in Bengaluru, is the daughter of C K Kerala Varma and Shruthi R Varma of the Pandalam Mundakkal Palace and Chazhoor Kovilakam, respectively.
The Sabarimala temple opened at 5 am for darshan on Saturday, the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit the hill shrine for darshan on October 22, the concluding day of the monthly poojas. In view of her visit, restrictions will be in place for devotees on October 22. The Sree Chithira Attathirunal festival will be observed at the Sannidhanam on October 21. Sabarimala is opening for monthly poojas when a political row is raging in connection with the alleged irregularities in gold-plating in the temple