Devotees throng Ayyappa temple in Kerala

Thousands of devotees today thronged the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa here to offer prayers to the deity here on the occasion of "Mandala Puja."
    
Prior to the pooja, the Ayyappa idol was adorned with the 'thanka anki' (golden attire).
    
The temple will be closed after 'Athazapuja', marking the culmination of the 41-day 'mandalam vrithom' (penance). It will reopen on December 30, for the Makaravilaku festival  on January 1.
    
The temple has been witnessing a heavy rush for the past few days and some devotees had to wait for more than 15 hours in the queue for darshan.
    
Yesterday, a procession with the "thanka anki' reached the sanidhanam (central shrine that seats the deity) from Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula, from where it started on December 22.
   
The Anki was presented to the Sabrimala Ayyappa temple by late Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma of the erstwhile Travancore royal family.