President Droupadi Murmu is set to visit the revered Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Mandir today, becoming the first serving President of India to offer prayers at the famous hill shrine of Bhagwan Ayyappa. Her visit marks a historic moment in the Mandirs history and comes as part of her four-day official tour of Kerala. The President arrived in Thiruvananthapuram last evening in a special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and was warmly received at the airport by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister George Kurian, Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan, and other senior dignitaries.
According to her schedule, President Murmu will depart from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport this morning at around 9:35 AM by helicopter and is expected to land at Nilakkal, the base camp of Sabarimala, by 10:15 AM. From there, she will travel by road to Pampa, the gateway to the hill shrine.
At the Pampa Ganapathi Mandir, the President will take part in the traditional rituals, including the tying of the Irumudi Kettu, a sacred bundle of offerings carried by devotees to Bhagwan Ayyappa. Following the ceremony, she will travel uphill to Sannidhanam, the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, in a specially arranged four-wheel-drive vehicle along the Swami Ayyappan Road. President Murmu is expected to reach the temple around 11:50 AM to offer prayers and perform aarti. After darshan, she will take a short rest and have lunch at the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Guest House. She is scheduled to commence her return journey in the afternoon, leaving Pampa around 3:00 PM. The President will then travel back to Nilakkal by road and board a helicopter to Thiruvananthapuram at 4:20 PM.
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Tight security arrangements have been put in place at Sabarimala and the base camp areas ahead of the President’s visit. The National Security Guard (NSG) is coordinating the security cover in collaboration with Kerala Police, the Travancore Devaswom Board, and other agencies. Travancore Devaswom Board president P. S. Prasanth said that arrangements have been made in accordance with Mandir traditions as well as national security protocols. He added that while there will be some restrictions for devotees due to security reasons, there will be no complete closure of the Mandir to pilgrims. The Mandir Tantri (chief pandit) and senior Devaswom Board officials will be present to receive the President in accordance with ritual procedure. This will be President Murmu’s first visit to Sabarimala. In the past, former President V. V. Giri had offered prayers at the shrine, but Murmu will become the first sitting President of India to do so. After returning from Sabarimala in the evening, the President will attend a dinner hosted in her honour by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Hotel Hyatt in Thiruvananthapuram.
Four-Day Kerala Itinerary
President Murmu’s Kerala tour includes several programmes of spiritual, cultural, and educational importance. On October 23, she will unveil the bust of former President K. R. Narayanan, the first President from Kerala, at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram at 10:30 AM. The event will be attended by senior political leaders and officials. She will then travel to Varkala to attend the Mahasamadhi Centenary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru at the Sivagiri Mutt as the Chief Guest at 12:50 PM. Later in the day, she will inaugurate the valedictory function of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas College, Pala, at 4:15 PM. The President will stay overnight at a resort in Kumarakom. On October 24, President Murmu will be the Chief Guest at the Centenary Celebrations of St. Teresa’s College in Kochi. She will then attend a luncheon hosted at the Bolgatty Palace before departing from Kochi Naval Base for Nedumbassery International Airport around 4:05 PM to return to New Delhi, concluding her four-day visit.
