President Droupadi Murmu today offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, becoming the first sitting President of India to visit the hill shrine in over five decades, the last being President V.V. Giri in 1973.

Adhering to the temple’s customs and traditions, President Murmu began her sacred pilgrimage from Pamba where she performed the customary ritual bath in a specially arranged enclosure near the holy river. She then symbolically filled her Irumudi Kettu — the sacred bundle carried by Ayyappa devotees — before proceeding to the temple.

Dressed in traditional black attire, the President offered prayers at the Pamba Ganapathy temple before beginning her ascent to Sabarimala. She was accompanied by her Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and a security official, both carrying Irumudi Kettu as fellow pilgrims.

Travelling in a special Devaswom Board jeep under heavy security, the President reached the hilltop shrine and climbed the famed Pathinettam Padi (18 sacred steps) with the assistance of a security officer who accompanied her as part of the pilgrimage.

At the Sannidhanam, President Murmu was accorded a traditional welcome with a Poorna Kumbham by Chief Priest Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu, and she reverently touched the offering before entering the sanctum for Darshan.

Following her prayers, the President spent some time at the Devaswom Guest House and partook in a traditional lunch. As a mark of reverence, the Travancore Devaswom Board presented her with a handcrafted Lord Ayyappa idol carved from Kumbil wood.

Her visit was marked by unprecedented security arrangements across Sannidhanam, Pamba, and Nilakkal, with the Kerala Police’s special forces managing crowds. Pilgrims’ access to the temple was briefly restricted during the President’s Darshan.

Earlier in the day, President Murmu departed from Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, at 7.30 a.m and flew by helicopter to Pathanamthitta, landing at the Pramadom Indoor Stadium.

She was received by Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, MP Anto Antony, MLAs K.U. Janeesh Kumar and Pramod Narayan, District Collector S. Prem Krishnan, and District Police Chief R. Anand. From there, she travelled by road to Pamba and began her pilgrimage.

The President will return to Thiruvananthapuram later in the evening and attend a dinner hosted in her honour by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Hotel Hyatt Regency.

President Murmu’s visit, coming exactly 50 years after President V.V. Giri’s historic Darshan, marks a new chapter in the temple’s modern history. While V V Giri was carried up the hill in a Doli (palanquin), Murmu became the first President to ascend by jeep — a measure adopted under strict security protocols.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expected to visit Sabarimala soon, the President’s pilgrimage has provided central security agencies an opportunity to reassess the shrine’s logistical and safety arrangements ahead of future high-profile visits.