Droupadi Murmu Becomes 1st Woman President To Offer Prayers At Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple

President Droupadi Murmu is currently on a four-day official visit to Kerala. During her visit, she made history by becoming the first woman President of India to visit the sacred Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. Her visit marks a significant moment, as women of a certain age group are traditionally restricted from entering the temple. Scroll on to know more about this.

Droupadi Murmu Offers Prayers At Lord Ayyappa Temple In Sabarimala.

President Droupadi Murmu performed Darshan and Puja at the Sabarimala Temple. She prayed before Lord Ayyappa for the well-being and prosperity of fellow citizens. pic.twitter.com/moJxzBS28h

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 22, 2025

According to India Today, Droupadi Murmu is the second President of India to visit the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala and the first woman president to do so. In a historic visit on Wednesday, she offered prayers at the renowned hilltop shrine. Former President VV Giri previously visited the temple in the 1970s, becoming the first head of state to pray there.

As per media reports, President Droupadi Murmu’s visit holds special significance as it comes after the landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling that lifted the traditional ban on women of menstruating age (10–50 years) from entering the Sabarimala Temple. The reason why women were banned from this shrine is that it is dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, who is revered by devotees as an eternal celibate.

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More From The President’s Trip

On Wednesday, after the traditional customs of the pilgrimage, President Droupadi Murmu arrived at the Pamba base camp. She washed her feet in the Pampa River and offered prayers at the nearby Lord Ganapathy temple before proceeding to Sabarimala.

She also participated in the ‘Kettunira’ ceremony there. As part of this, the head priest of the temple prepared her ‘irumudikkettu’, which is the sacred bundle devotees carry to the shrine. While carrying the bundle on her head, she climbed the 18 holy steps to the main sanctum sanctorum. After the darshan, her ‘irumudikkettu’ was taken by the head priest for pooja. She also visited the adjacent Malikappuram temple.

Also Read: PM Modi Visits Andhra Pradesh’s Srisailam Temple, The Only Shrine With Both Shiva Jyotirlinga & Shakti Peetha

Have you been to Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala? Let us know your experience in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: X/@rashtrapatibhvn