President Droupadi Murmu created history on Wednesday by becoming the first woman President of India to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, one of Kerala’s most revered pilgrimage sites.
Her visit marks a significant moment in the temple’s history, as no woman holding the nation’s highest constitutional office has previously entered the shrine. The President’s pilgrimage formed part of her four-day official tour of Kerala.
Sabarimala, nestled in the forests of Pathanamthitta district, is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and draws millions of devotees each year, particularly during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season.
President Murmu’s visit also carries symbolic importance — she is only the second Indian President ever to visit Sabarimala. The last head of state to do so was President V. V. Giri in the 1970s.
Murmu’s visit has been widely noted as a moment of both religious and historical significance, reflecting the diversity and inclusiveness of India’s constitutional democracy.
