Sabarimala Temple to Open for Meena Maasa Pooja on March 14, 2025, with New Darshan System
The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple will open tomorrow, March 14, 2025, for the Meena Maasa Pooja, the monthly rituals during the Malayalam month of Meenam. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has introduced a new darshan system starting tomorrow to improve the pilgrimage experience.
Meena Maasa Pooja-The temple will open for five days of rituals, allowing devotees to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa. The Meena Maasa Pooja is a key monthly event, attracting pilgrims for darshan outside the main season
New Darshan System
The TDB’s new arrangement prioritizes devotees with the irumudikettu. Under the new system, pilgrims ascending the 18 holy steps will no longer be directed to the flyover. Instead, they will enter the temple through the main entrance near the flagmast and balikallu. Inside the temple, there will be two queues separated by the bhandaram.
“Pilgrims will have a view of the idol while moving in the queue and a final, prolonged view in front of the sanctum, increasing their darshan time to 20-30 seconds,” Prasanth said. The new system will be experimentally implemented during the Meenam pooja days and the Vishu festival. If successful, it will be adopted for the annual pilgrimage season. Meanwhile, the global Ayyappa summit will be held at Pampa during the monthly pooja in May, with devotees from around 17 countries expected to attend.
Authorities have ensured security, sanitation, and medical support for visitors. The temple expects a steady flow of devotees for the rituals.
The Meena Maasa Pooja and new darshan system blend tradition with efficiency, offering pilgrims a chance to worship at one of India’s holiest shrines.