President Droupadi Murmu made a historic visit to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Wednesday, becoming the first woman head of state to offer prayers at the famous hilltop shrine in Kerala. Her visit marks only the second time a President of India has visited Sabarimala, the first being former President VV Giri in the 1970s.
The visit carries deep symbolic significance, as it comes years after the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict that lifted the traditional ban on women of menstruating age (10–50 years) entering the temple. The Sabarimala shrine, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa—revered by devotees as an eternal celibate—has long been a focal point of faith, tradition, and legal debate in India.
Reacting to the visit, BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar lauded President Murmu’s act of devotion. In a post on X, he wrote, “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.”
