Preparations for the Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple on January 15 are in full swing, with the authorities gearing up for the arrival of more than four lakh devotees to witness the Makarajyothi (sacred light). The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has made arrangements to provide free meals to 1.5 lakh devotees on January 14 and 15. The initiative, according to P.S. Prasanth, TDB president, complements the ongoing scheme of providing free meals to pilgrims since the beginning of the annual pilgrimage season. To facilitate the darshan of Makarajyothi, as many as 10 viewpoints have been designated here and essential arrangements such as barricades, lighting, and temporary shelters have been completed at these locations. The viewpoints include Pandithavalam, areas near Water Tank, Marakkottam Complex, the north portion of the BSNL office, Koprakkalam, the Sannidhanam, Malikappuram temple premises, Appachimedu, the area before Annadana Mandapam, and near the incinerators. The TDB, meanwhile, has urged pilgrims to strictly adhere to the instructions of the police and forest officials and asked them not to venture into the forest and also to avoid standing on top of concrete buildings. The pilgrims, who are staying back on the hillock on days before Makaravilakku, will be permitted to erect sheds only at designated locations. They have been also banned from cooking. A team led by the TDB president on Thursday visited these designated locations in and around the Sannidhanam and reviewed the security arrangements. Meanwhile, the second phase deployment of police officials for the Makaravilakku festival was carried out here on Thursday. With this, the total number of police officers on duty during the Makaravilakku day will go up to 2,500. The festivities in connection with the Makaravilakku will begin at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple with its reopening at 5 p.m. A team of Devaswom officials will receive the ‘Thiruvabharanam’ (sacred jewels) procession at Saramkuthi, which will then be taken to the temple for the Deeparadhana. This will be followed by the lighting of Makarajyothi.