📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sangeeth ks
Religion
Sankaran Namboothiri Appointed New Melsanthi of Sabarimala Temple
✍️ Telangana Today
🗓 18 Oct 2026, 05:46 PM
👁 11
The Sabarimala shrine has announced the appointment of Sankaran Namboothiri as its new melsanthi, the chief priest overseeing rituals.
The management of the Sabarimala temple has officially named Sankaran Namboothiri as the new melsanthi, the senior priest responsible for conducting the temple's daily rites and major festivals. The decision was communicated through a press release issued by the temple authorities in Kerala, confirming that the appointment follows the traditional selection process observed by the shrine.
Melsanthi holds a pivotal role in Sabarimala, one of the country's most visited pilgrimage sites, overseeing the performance of the sacred rituals that attract millions of devotees each year. Sankaran Namboothiri, a veteran priest from the Namboothiri community, is expected to continue the lineage of ritualistic practices that have defined the temple's worship for centuries.
The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming pilgrimage season, signalling a smooth transition in the temple's priestly hierarchy. Devotees and temple officials alike have expressed confidence that the new melsanthi will uphold the sanctity and traditions of Sabarimala during the busy months ahead.
Melsanthi holds a pivotal role in Sabarimala, one of the country's most visited pilgrimage sites, overseeing the performance of the sacred rituals that attract millions of devotees each year. Sankaran Namboothiri, a veteran priest from the Namboothiri community, is expected to continue the lineage of ritualistic practices that have defined the temple's worship for centuries.
The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming pilgrimage season, signalling a smooth transition in the temple's priestly hierarchy. Devotees and temple officials alike have expressed confidence that the new melsanthi will uphold the sanctity and traditions of Sabarimala during the busy months ahead.