SABARIMALA, INDIA, December 31, 2007: The Lord Ayyappa temple was opened for the Makaravilakku festival on Sunday evening, marking the second phase of the two-month-long pilgrimage season to the hill shrine. Makara Jyothi, the most auspicious occasion of the festival when pilgrims sight a divine light at Ponnambalamedu, the distant hills opposite the temple, falls on January 14.
Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran held a review meeting with concerned officials at Pampa to evaluate the facilities being extended to Ayyappa devotees with tens of millions of them expected to throng the temple in the coming 15 days and create an action plan.