'Thanka Anki' procession sets off to Sabarimala temple

The annual ceremonial procession carrying 'Thanka Anki', the sacred golden attire of Lord Ayyappa idol, set off for the Sabarimala temple from Aranmula here on Sunday.

Hundreds of people including devotees and officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) took part in the procession when it began from the Parthasarathy temple here.

Weighing 453 sovereigns, the 'Thanka Anki' was offered to Lord Ayyappa by the Travancore royal family during the 1970s.

The attire used to be kept at the Aranmula Parthasarathy temple and would be taken to the hill shrine during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

Devotees sang Lord Ayyappa hymns and chanted 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' mantra when the attire was taken out on a vehicle richly decorated with flowers for the procession.

TDB president P S Prasanth was also present there during the occasion.

"Now, the Thanka Anki procession began from the Parthasarathy temple. After receiving reception at 74 temples en route it will reach Sabarimala by December 25," he told reporters.

Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan would receive the procession when it reaches Pamba by afternoon on the day, he said.

It would be accorded a grand reception by the temple authorities at Sabarimala Sannidhanam as well in the evening.

The sacred attire would be adorned on the idol of the presiding deity prior to the 'arathi' on December 25 evening.

The auspicious Mandala pooja would be held in Sabarimala on December 26, marking the culmination of the first leg of the annual pilgrimage season.