Historic First: Droupadi Murmu Becomes First Woman President to Pray at Sabarimala

President Droupadi Murmu made history on Wednesday, becoming the first woman President of India to offer prayers at the revered Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Kerala. The visit is a standout moment in her official tour, marking her as only the second President—after VV Giri in the 1970s—to visit this iconic hilltop shrine.

The President’s pilgrimage comes several years after the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2018 that overturned the ban on women of menstruating age entering the temple. Sabarimala’s traditions centre around Lord Ayyappa, regarded by devotees as an eternal celibate.

President Murmu began her journey by following strict pilgrimage customs, arriving at the Pamba base camp and washing her feet in the holy river before prayers. Clad in a black saree, she underwent the ‘Kettunira’ ceremony, where her sacred ‘irumudikkettu’ bundle—prepared by the temple’s chief priest—signalled readiness for the trek to the sanctum.

Accompanied by family and staff, she travelled the 4.5 kilometre route to the Sannidhanam in special vehicles allotted for her visit. At the main temple complex, Murmu was formally welcomed and greeted by Kerala’s State Devaswom Minister and temple authorities.

Carrying the irumudi bundle on her head, the President then climbed the famous eighteen holy steps—an act deeply symbolic for Ayyappa pilgrims—and offered her prayers within the main sanctum. The temple’s head priest received her sacred bundle for the concluding rituals.

After completing prayers and also visiting the adjacent Malikappuram temple, President Murmu returned to the guesthouse for lunch, with access for other devotees restricted for the duration of her visit.

President Murmu’s Sabarimala pilgrimage marks a milestone, reinforcing values of tradition and inclusion, and stands as a momentous chapter in her four-day Kerala tour.