President Droupadi Murmu offers prayers at Sabarimali temple
President Droupadi Murmu made a historic visit to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Wednesday, becoming the first woman head of state to offer prayers at the renowned hilltop shrine.
She is only the second President of India to visit the temple; former President VV Giri had previously visited in the 1970s.
The President’s visit is symbolically significant, coming years after a landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling that overturned a traditional ban on women of menstruating age (10-50) entering the temple. The shrine is dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, who devotees regard as an eternal celibate.
Following the traditional customs of the pilgrimage, President Murmu arrived at the Pamba base camp around 11 am. She washed her feet in the Pampa river before offering prayers at the nearby Lord Ganapathy shrine.
Dressed in a black saree, the President participated in the ‘Kettunira’ ceremony, where the melshanthi (head priest) prepared her ‘irumudikkettu’ — the sacred bundle devotees carry to the shrine. Her son-in-law, Ganesh Chandra Hombram, and other staff members also prepared their own sacred bundles.
After the rituals at Pamba, the group traveled the 4.5-km Swami Ayyappan Road to the Sannidhanam (main temple complex) in special four-wheel-drive vehicles.
At the Sannidhanam, President Murmu was formally received by the temple tantri (chief priest), Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru, with a ‘poorna kumbha’ (a traditional welcome). She was also greeted by State Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan.
Carrying the sacred bundle on her head, she then climbed the 18 holy steps to the main sanctum sanctorum. She had ‘darshan’ of Lord Ayyappa, after which her ‘irumudikkettu’ was taken by the head priest for pooja.
After completing her prayers and also visiting the adjacent Malikappuram temple, the President returned to the TDB guesthouse for lunch. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials confirmed that entry for other devotees was restricted during her visit.
The Sabarimala visit is a key part of President Murmu’s four-day official tour of Kerala, which began on Tuesday evening.