New Delhi/Kochi
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday made history becoming the first woman head of state to offer prayers at the renowned Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. She is only the second President of India to visit the hilltop shrine. VV Giri was the first President to have visited the temple in the 1970s.
“President Droupadi Murmu performed Darshan and Puja at the Sabarimala Temple. She prayed before Lord Ayyappa for the well-being and prosperity of fellow citizens,” said the Rashtrapati Bhavan on X.
The President’s visit assumes significance against the backdrop of a landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling overturning a traditional ban on women of menstruating age (10-50 years) from entering the temple, where the shrine is dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, who devotees regard as an eternal celibate.
BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who hailed President Murmu’s visit to Sabarimala, wrote on X, “She is 67. She broke no rules, hurt no faith – she only honoured it. In doing so, she became the first President ever to carry the Irumudi and bow before Lord Ayyappa.”
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. After the rituals at Pamba, the group traveled the 4.5-km Swami Ayyappan Road to the Sannidhanam (main temple complex).
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.
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. Entry for other devotees was restricted during her visit.
Earlier, the helicopter ferrying President Droupadi Murmu got stuck at the helipad on landing at Pramadam, near Pathanamthitta, Kerala. The chopper made a safe touchdown at the newly prepared helipad around 9.05 a.m., but its tyres sank slightly into the freshly laid concrete soon after the President disembarked. The President, however, continued her journey to Pampa by road without any delay.
