Makaravilakku Festival
Why in news :
- Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makara Sankranti in Kerala, India at the shrine of Sabarimala.
- The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappan) procession and a congregation at the hill shrine of Sabarimala.
- An estimated half a million devotees flow to Sabarimala every year to have a darshan(vision) of this ritual this day.
- Makaravilakku, is a part of a religious ritual that is practiced in the past by the Malayaraya tribe who are believed to be the descendants of Malayaman Kaari in the forest of Ponnambalamedu.
- The lamp lighted during the time of Deeparadhana (arati) in the temple is known as Makara Vilakku.
Syllabus : Prelims
