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N Balamurali Namboothiri of Edamana Illam at Manikanteswaram, Thiruvananthapuram was on Tuesday selected as the Melshanti (chief priest) of the famous Lord Ayyappa Temple at Kerala’s mountainous pilgrim centre Sabarimala for a year starting the first day of the Vrishchikam month (November 17) of the Malayalam calendar.
The new chief priest for the adjacent Malikappuram Devi Temple will be TK Easwaran Namboothiri of Koramangalam in Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram. The two newly selected chief priests will take charge of the affairs at their respective temples on Vrischikam 1, the day the two-month annual Sabarimala pilgrimage starts.
The lots for the selection of the priests for the Lord Ayyappa temple and the Malikappuram shrine were drawn respectively by nine-year-old Saurav Varma, son of Pramod Varma of the Vadakkedathu Palace of Pandalam and six-year-old Gautami Varma, daughter of Girish Varma of the Srambikkal Palace.
Balamurali Namboothiri (39) is the chief priest of the Devi temple at Puthiyakavu, Kollam and Easwaran Namboothiri (50) is associate priest (Keezhshanti) at the Devi temple at Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram. The draw of lots was held as per the instructions given by the Supreme Court.
There were a total of 10 candidates for chief priest’s post in the Lord Ayyappa temple and 13 candidates competed for Malikappuram temple priest.
Balamurali Namboothiri topped the list for the post at Lord Ayyappa temple and Easwaran Namboothiri was the sixth rank holder among the 13 candidates. The shortlist was prepared as per a preliminary examination conducted by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The new chief priest for the adjacent Malikappuram Devi Temple will be TK Easwaran Namboothiri of Koramangalam in Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram. The two newly selected chief priests will take charge of the affairs at their respective temples on Vrischikam 1, the day the two-month annual Sabarimala pilgrimage starts.
The lots for the selection of the priests for the Lord Ayyappa temple and the Malikappuram shrine were drawn respectively by nine-year-old Saurav Varma, son of Pramod Varma of the Vadakkedathu Palace of Pandalam and six-year-old Gautami Varma, daughter of Girish Varma of the Srambikkal Palace.
Balamurali Namboothiri (39) is the chief priest of the Devi temple at Puthiyakavu, Kollam and Easwaran Namboothiri (50) is associate priest (Keezhshanti) at the Devi temple at Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram. The draw of lots was held as per the instructions given by the Supreme Court.
There were a total of 10 candidates for chief priest’s post in the Lord Ayyappa temple and 13 candidates competed for Malikappuram temple priest.
Balamurali Namboothiri topped the list for the post at Lord Ayyappa temple and Easwaran Namboothiri was the sixth rank holder among the 13 candidates. The shortlist was prepared as per a preliminary examination conducted by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
