Makara jyothi is a star that appears in the sky on Makara Samkramam, when the Sun moves from dhanu rasi (Sagittarius) to Makaram rasi (Capricorn) on the first day of the Malayalam month of Makaram, which is today — January 14 (Makara Sankranti) — this year.
In the evening, the sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa, who is believed to have lived at Pandalam palace (some 80 km away), would be brought to Sabarimala shrine from the palace in a procession. The erstwhile royal family of Pandalam is the custodian of the ornaments.
Makara vilakku is a light lit at Ponnambalamedu, a plateau across the Sabarimala shrine. The light, believed to have celestial origins, is shown three times by the chief priest of Pamba temple. Pamba is the base station of Sabarimala.
The light is dubbed as Makara vilakku. This ritual is done after the Sirius star appears in the sky. This ritual had been done by Malaya araya tribals in the past. When the Travancore Devaswom Board took over the administration of the temple in the early 1950s, the tribal community lost that right
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