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India's First Female President Visits Sabarimala, Makes History
22 Oct, 2025
Summary
- President Droupadi Murmu becomes first woman head of state to visit Sabarimala
- Offered prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple and adjacent shrines
- Received traditional welcome by temple authorities
In a historic move, President Droupadi Murmu visited the Sabarimala temple in Kerala on October 22, 2025, becoming the first woman head of state to do so. The President reached Pamba, the base camp for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, in a special convoy and washed her feet in the Pampa river before offering prayers at nearby temples, including the Lord Ganapathy shrine.
At the Sabarimala temple, President Murmu climbed the 18 holy steps to reach the sanctum, where she was greeted by state officials and the temple tantri. She performed darshan of Lord Ayyappa with the sacred bundle on her head and later offered prayers at the adjacent temples of Vavaraswamy and Malikappuram.
This visit marks a significant milestone, as the late President V.V. Giri was the only other Indian President to have visited the Sabarimala shrine in the 1970s. President Murmu's pilgrimage to the revered hill shrine has been widely celebrated as a historic event, showcasing her deep respect for India's diverse cultural and religious traditions.
