Interview for Sabarimala Melsanthi on Oct 3, 4

PATHANAMTHITTA: The interviews for the new Melsanthis of Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples will be held at the Travancore Devaswom Board headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on October 3 and 4. The initial process of screening the applications for the new melsanthi posts for both the temples had already been completed, Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu said.  Around 41 aspirants for Sabarimala Melsanthi and 31 for Malikappuram Melsanthi were shortlisted for the interview, Vasu said. The interview  panel, consisting of TDB president M Rajagopalan Nair, members K Sicily and K V Padmanabhan, Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu, Sabarimala Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu and a thantri from outside the purview of Sabarimala  temple, will undertake the task at the two-day session, he said.  The panel will prepare a list of nine best performers each at the interview for Sabaraimala and Malikappuram temples.  Vasu said that the selection of the melsanthis for Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples would be made through drawing of lots at Sabarimala on October 18. The selected melsanthi will undergo training under Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu at Thazhamon Madom for a week, he said. The new melsanthi will take charge for a period of one year on November 17, the first day of the Mandalam-Makaravilaku pilgrimage season, he said.Before taking charge, Thantri Kandararu Maheswararu will perform  kalasabhishekam on the new melsanthi in front of the sreekovil on November 16 evening.