The temple will close after the Mandala Pooja on 27 December and reopen on 30 December for the Makaravilakku festival. Synopsis: The Sabarimala temple in Keralam’s Pathanamthitta district will open at 5 pm on 16 November, marking the beginning of the 2026-27 Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. The Travancore Devaswom Board has introduced a free pilgrim insurance scheme with the LIC, offering compensation of ₹2 lakh in the event of a pilgrim’s death.