Sabarimala: Kandararu Rajivaru of the Thazhamon family on Thursday took over as the thantri or the traditional high priest of the Sabarimala temple on the New Year day of the Malayalam calendar.
Nephew of senior thantri Kandararu Maheswararu, Rajivaru, would officiate as the high priest of the temple for a year, temple sources said.
As per the agreement among the members of the Thazhamon Matom, it is Rajivaru's turn this year to act as thantri succeeding his cousin Kandararu Mohanararu.
Mohanararu could not complete his full term as the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which administer the temple, restrained him from performing his duties after he came under the cloud of a police case last month.
Rajivaru takes over as thantri at a time when the Lord Ayyappa temple is in the eye of controversies, including the claim of Kannada actress Jaimala that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine.
Women in the age group of 10 to 50 are not allowed in the temple.
Also, the deva prasnam (astrological examination of the temple affairs) conducted recently had sparked a row with a section of astrologers and priests questioning its validity.
The TDB had said it would perform the atonement measures (pariharakriyas) prescribed by the 'deva prasnam'.
Meanwhile, the Sabarimala shrine opened for monthly poojas on Wednesday evening.
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