Daijiworld Media Release

New Delhi, Oct 23: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday made history by offering prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, becoming the first woman President of India to do so. She is also the second Indian President to visit the shrine after V V Giri.

Clad in a black saree, the President arrived at Pamba around 11 am in a special convoy. According to temple tradition, black is the recommended attire during the ‘Vruthum’ period, symbolising detachment from material things. Following custom, she washed her feet in the Pampa river and visited nearby shrines, including the Lord Ganapathy temple, where Vishnu Namboothiri, chief priest of the Ganapathy temple, prepared her sacred bundle or irumudikkettu. She was accompanied by her ADC Saurabh S Nair, PSO Vinay Mathur, and son-in-law Ganesh Hembram, who also prepared their irumudikkettu.

The President broke coconuts near the temple and proceeded to Sannidhanam along the 4.5-km Swami Ayyappan Road. At the sanctum, she climbed the 18 holy steps, received by State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President P S Prasanth, and welcomed by Temple Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru with a poorna kumbha. Murmu offered darshan of Lord Ayyappa, placing her sacred bundle on the temple steps for pooja, and later visited the shrines of Vavaraswamy and Malikappuram. Before leaving, she was presented with an idol of Lord Ayyappa by TDB officials.

The visit carries significance years after Sabarimala became the centre of debates over women’s entry. In 2018, the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the temple, overturning the ban on those aged 10 to 50, as Lord Ayyappa is worshipped as a Naishtika Brahmachari (perennial celibate). The verdict had sparked widespread protests and political controversy in Kerala.

President Murmu’s pilgrimage, conducted strictly according to temple customs, is being seen as a symbolic gesture of devotion. BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar praised her visit, stating 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. A moment that reflects the deep faith uniting millions of Ayyappa devotees across India.”