Festival poojas would start from November 16, the first day of the 'Vrichikam' month of the Malayalam calendar, after the new head priest of the temple P N Narayanan Namboothri opens the sanctum sanctorum early in the morning.
The most important temple ritual the 'ghee abhishekam' would start from that day.
The 42-day mandala festival would come to end on December 26 with the Mandala pooja. After a three-day recess, the temple would reopen on December 30 for Makaravilakku festival. The 'Makaravilakku' falls on January 14.