The Lord Ayyappa Temple has been the site of violent protests.
Kerala's Sabarimala temple will open to pilgrims today for an annual 10-day festival. A press release issued by the temple said head priest Kandararu Rajeevaru will preside over the opening ceremony. Ahead of the festival, a new gold-plated door will replace the old one made of teak wood.
A group of Sabarimala devotees, led by one Unni Namboothiri, met the expenses of the new door as an offering to the presiding deity, TDB president A Padmakumar had said.
"The new door is designed in such a way that the gold plating can be removed if the door suffers any damage in course of time," the TDB chief had said.
The Lord Ayyappa Temple has been the site of violent protests by devotees opposing the implementation of the landmark September 28 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the temple.