Droupadi Murmu Becomes First Woman President To Offer Prayers At Kerala's Sabarimala Temple

President Droupadi Murmu made a historic visit to the Lord Ayappa Temple in Sabarimala on Wednesday, becoming the first woman president to offer prayers at the renowned hilltop shrine in Kerala. She is the second

President to visit the temple after VV Giri 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.

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. pic.twitter.com/moJxzBS28h

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 22, 2025

Murmu, who reached Pamba in a special convoy at around 11 am, washed her feet in the Pampa river and then offered prayers at the nearby temples, including the Lord Ganapathy shrine. She was accompanied by her ADC Saurabh S Nair, PSO Vinay Mathur and son-in-law Ganesh Chandra Hombram.

They threw coconuts at a stone wall near the temple, and holding their sacred bundles on their heads, they boarded the special four-wheel drive vehicles which carried them to the Sannidhanam along the 4.5-km-long Swami Ayyappan Road and traditional trekking route to the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

At Sannidhanam, she climbed the 18 holy steps to reach the shrine, where she was greeted by state Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth. The temple Tantri, Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru, received her with a poorna kumbha.

After reaching the shrine, President Murmu performed ‘darshan’ of Lord Ayyappa with the sacred bundle on her head. Then the President and her team placed their sacred bundles on the steps of the shrine, and the melshanti (head priest) of the temple took their irumudikkettu (sacred bundle) for pooja.

Murmu’s visit was symbolic in light of the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, which lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of menstruating women (aged 10 to 50) into the Sabarimala temple. The Court ruled that the restriction violated the constitutional rights to equality and religious freedom.

Hailing the moment, BJP’s Bandi Kumar Sanjay said, “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.”

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.
Hon’ble President Smt Droupadi Murmu Ji’s visit to Sabarimala reminds us that devotion doesn’t shout, it… pic.twitter.com/v0saoEZwPJ

— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) October 22, 2025

“Hon’ble President Smt Droupadi Murmu Ji’s visit to Sabarimala reminds us that devotion doesn’t shout, it simply stands tall. A moment that reflects the deep faith uniting millions of Ayyappa devotees across India. Those 18 steps have seen debate and defiance, yet devotion always finds its dignity.”

The President is currently on a four-day visit to Kerala. She will unveil the bust of former President of India, KR Narayanan, at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday and inaugurate the observance of the Mahasamadhi Centenary of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala.

She will also grace the valedictory function of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas College, Palai. President Murmu will also attend the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam before leaving.

(with PTI inputs)