A surge of spiritual fervour has gripped Erumely, the main base camp of Sabarimala pilgrims, as the town prepares to host the ceremonial Petta Thullal of the Ambalappuzha and Alangad groups, preceded by the traditional Chandanakkudam celebrations at the Nainar Mosque on Saturday. The celebration also marks the final phase of this year’s annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season.
Organised by the Erumely Mahallu Muslim Jamaat, the Chandanakkudam festivities began on Saturday evening with a grand procession that set out from the Nainar Mosque at 7.30 p.m. Accompanied by percussion ensembles and traditional art forms, the procession wound its way through the town, receiving receptions at several points, before concluding at the mosque around 3 a.m.
Earlier in the evening, Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman flagged off the Chandanakkudam procession following a public meeting inaugurated by Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan. The Chandanakkudam is observed annually to commemorate the unique bonhomie between Lord Ayyappa and his trusted Muslim lieutenant Vavar.
The Petta Thullal ritual will begin on Sunday noon, with the Ambalappuzha group being accorded a ceremonial reception at the mosque. Subsequently, a representative of Vavar will hold the hand of the Ambalappuzha Periyon and together they will proceed with the Petta Thullal procession to the Valiyambalam.
After the Ambalappuzha group completes its ritual, the Alangad group will commence its Petta Thullal at 3 p.m. Caparisoned elephants and various traditional art forms will add colour and grandeur to the procession.
In view of the heightened pilgrim activity over the next two days, an additional 200 police personnel have been deployed, while traffic in and around the town has been placed under strict regulation.
Meanwhile, the steady inflow of pilgrims heading to Sabarimala has kept the authorities on high alert. The police said Erumely has been witnessing severe traffic congestion, with its ripple effects extending across the region, resulting in long queues stretching towards the Sabarimala route on one side and up to Kanjirappally on the other.
The Forest department has also announced restrictions on the movement of Ayyappa devotees along the traditional forest routes. As per the revised regulations, pilgrims will be permitted to travel via Erumely only until 6 p.m. on January 13, via Azhuthakkadavu until 8 a.m. on January 14, and via Mukkuzhi until 10 a.m. on the same day.
Curated by Aisha Patel
