Sri Lankan Member of Parliament (MP) Jeevan Thondaman offered prayers at the famed Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala on Sunday. The Sri Lankan MP, son of Arumugam Thondaman a former minister of the neighbouring island nation, arrived at the shrine as a 'kanni swami' -- a first time pilgrim.
He also distributed 38,000 packets of biscuits to pilgrims at the temple. The hilltop shrine re-opened on Friday for the 'Makaravilakku' festival which marks the beginning of the second leg of the 2-month long annual pilgrimage season.The first leg began on November 17 and ended on December 27 with the 'Mandala puja.'
