Thiruvananthapuram: The new Melshanthis (chief priests) of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and the Malikappuram Temple will be selected through a draw of lots today. Devanandan Arjun and Anaswara M. Ranjith, from the Pandalam Palace, have been appointed to conduct the draw. The selection is expected to take place at Sannidhanam and Malikappuram around 8 am. Rama Varma Raja of the Pandalam Palace selected the children for the draw. The selection is being conducted in accordance with the Supreme Court’s 2011 order and the report submitted by retired Justice K. T. Thomas.
The final list for the Sabarimala Melshanthi selection has seven candidates, while five candidates are on the list for Malikappuram. All five candidates shortlisted for Malikappuram are also included in the Sabarimala list. Thus, seven candidates in total will be considered for the two temples.
The final list for the Sabarimala Melshanthi draw includes:
Areekkara Subrahmanya Shankaran Namboothiri
A. Damodaran Namboothiri
S. Harikumar
P. K. Harishankar
T. N. Unnikrishnan
V. S. Shankaran Namboothiri
N. K. Raman Namboothiri
Five Candidates for Malikappuram Melshanthi
Areekkara Subrahmanya Shankaran Namboothiri
A. Damodaran Namboothiri
P. K. Harishankar
V. S. Shankaran Namboothiri
N. K. Raman Namboothiri
Meanwhile, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan has directed officials to complete preparations for the Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage within the stipulated timeframe. The progress of work by various departments was reviewed at a meeting held at the Sree Ramasaketham Auditorium in Pamba after a visit to Nilakkal to assess the arrangements.
Construction and maintenance work at Sannidhanam, Pamba, Nilakkal and other pilgrimage centres must be completed on a war footing, the Chief Minister said. Secretaries have also been directed to report the progress of their respective departments to the government. The Devaswom Board has been instructed to clean and properly prepare all 21 parking grounds at Nilakkal. The newly constructed police barrack at Nilakkal can accommodate 600 people. Repair work on the old barrack must also be completed.
The Public Works Department’s Roads Wing has been asked to complete the modernisation of the Pamba-Chalakkayam road within the stipulated time. Repairs to other roads must be completed within two weeks. A police aid post with a covered pavilion modelled on the German system is to be constructed at Nilakkal. Maintenance work at the police messes in Pamba and Sannidhanam, the old police station at Pamba and the police station at Sannidhanam must also be completed on time.Officials have also been directed to ensure proper barricades along the Marakoottam-Saramkuthi route. The meeting primarily reviewed arrangements to ensure safe and smooth darshan for devotees during the pilgrimage season.
