Nellore Ayyappa Temple To Get Larger Panchaloha Idol
The move comes nearly 40 years after the installation of the presiding deity at the temple: Reports
NELLORE: The Sri Swamy Ayyappa Seva Samajam has decided to cast a new, larger Panchaloha Utsava idol of Lord Ayyappa at the Sri Swamy Ayyappa Devasthanam in Vedayapalem, Nellore, on October 22, 2026, inviting devotees to participate in the initiative.
The move comes nearly 40 years after the installation of the presiding deity at the temple, which has been a spiritual centre for Ayyappa devotees in Nellore since the 1980s. The larger processional idol is intended to ensure better visibility of the deity during the annual procession through the city, as the existing idol is reportedly difficult for devotees to view from a distance.
Temple authorities said the decision followed a Daiva Prasnam, a traditional ritual consultation that indicated the need for a new processional idol.
The casting ceremony will be held on the temple premises on Thursday, October 22, in the presence of devotees. The idol will be crafted by the son and grandson of Tirumalachari Sthapati of Tiruchanur, the original sculptor who made the temple’s Panchaloha idol.
The temple administration has appealed to devotees to participate in and contribute to the spiritual initiative.
