PATHANAMTHITTA: The start of the Malayalam month of Midhunom on Saturday saw the opening of the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala for the five-day monthly rituals.

Melsanthi D. Damodaran Potti opened the sanctum sanctorum at 5.30 p.m.

The monthly rituals will begin with the Tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu performing the auspicious Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati Homom on Saturday morning.

The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi, has prepared the ‘kalasom’ (holy water) in 1,000 small copper urns at the northern Mandapam of the temple for the Sahasrakalasabhishekom ritual to be performed prior to the Utchapuja on Saturday.

Sahasrakalasabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom, Padipuja, Udayasthamanapuja, and Pushpabhishekom will be performed at the Ayyappa temple on all the five days.

The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on June 19 evening. The temple witnessed heavy rush as hundreds of devotees undertook the pilgrimage braving heavy down pour in the holy forests.

The troubled cricketer, Sreesanth, was also among the devotees who reached the temple on Friday.