President Droupadi Murmu Offers Prayers at Sabarimala Temple

• Sabarimala, Kerala — October 22: President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, becoming the first woman President of India to do so. This marks only the second presidential visit to the shrine since V. V. Giri’s pilgrimage in the 1970s.

• Arriving at Pamba around 11 a.m. , President Murmu began her pilgrimage in traditional style — washing her feet in the Pampa River , visiting nearby shrines including Lord Ganapathy Temple , and carrying the sacred Irumudi before climbing the 18 holy steps to the sanctum sanctorum for darshan of Lord Ayyappa.
• She was received by Kerala Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board President P. S. Prasanth , and welcomed with a poorna kumbha by Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru . Temple priests led rituals and pujas during her visit.
• The President’s visit holds symbolic importance in the wake of the 2018 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, reinforcing the principles of faith, equality, and inclusion .

Key Facts:

• The Sabarimala Temple , dedicated to Lord Ayyappa , is among the largest pilgrimage sites in the world.

• Devotees climb 18 sacred steps symbolizing spiritual enlightenment.

• Over 40 million pilgrims visit annually during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season.

• President V. V. Giri was the first Indian President to visit in the early 1970s.

President Murmu is on a four-day Kerala visit , during which she will unveil a bust of former President K. R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan, inaugurate the Mahasamadhi Centenary of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, and attend jubilee events at St. Thomas College, Palai , and St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam .