Sabarimala (Kerala) | The famed Lord Ayyappa Temple here will be opened on December 30 evening for the annual Makaravilakku festival, the TDB said on Monday.

The auspicious "Makaravilakku" ritual, which marks the culmination of the over two-month-long pilgrimage season, falls on January 14, 2026.

The temple will open at 5 pm on December 30, with the sanctum sanctorum being opened by 'melsanthi' (chief priest) E D Prasad in the presence of tantri (head priest) Mahesh Mohanaru, a TDB statement said.

After lighting fire at the azhi (sacred fire) at the Sannidhanam, pilgrims will be permitted to climb the holy eighteen steps (Pathinettam Padi) to have darshan.

The temple was closed at 10 pm on December 27, following the culmination of the 41-day-long Mandala Poojas, after the traditional rendering of the "harivarasanam" (lullaby of Lord Ayyappa).

The Makaravilakku festival, one of the most significant annual events at Sabarimala, attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across the country every year.

As part of the preparations for the annual Makaravilakku festival, large-scale cleanliness drives were carried out at Sabarimala and its surrounding areas with the participation of various government departments and volunteers, the TDB said.

The cleaning operations, which commenced on Monday, are being undertaken jointly by the police, excise, Travancore Devaswom Board and the Visuddhi Sena, the sanitation volunteers.

Both sides of the Swami Ayyappan Road, the stretch from the Neelimala gate to Sabaripeedh, the surroundings of Pampa, and the route to Sannidhanam (temple complex) were covered in the cleaning drive, the statement added.