First woman President to pray at holy Sabarimala shrine; Droupadi Murmu makes history

PATHANAMTHITTA: The holy shrine of Sabarimala was cordoned off with high security on Wednesday following the Indian President’s historic pilgrimage to the temple. Indian President Droupadi Murmu climbed the holy 18 steps of Sabarimala with an Irumudi Kettu (sacred, two-compartment bundle carried on the head by devotees) and reached the sanctum sanctorum at 11.47 am on Wednesday.

After taking a dip in the sacred Pampa River, President Murmu took the Irumudi Kettu at the nearby Ganapathy temple. The president was accompanied by her son-in-law Ganesh Chandra Hembram, security officers Saurabh S. Nair and Vinay Mathur, to the specially prepared Gurkha vehicle. Six vehicles were in the entourage.

They started their travel from Pamba at 11.15 am. A security official with Irumudi Kettu got in front of the vehicle in which the President was travelling. The vehicle reached the lower courtyard of the Sannidhanam at 11.40 am.

The President climbed the holy 18 steps with the assistance of a security officer, who was also carrying an Irumudi Kettu. She was received near the Kodimaram Chuvadu (flag post area) by the chief priest, Tantri Kantar Mahesh Mohanar, with the Poornakumbham ritual.

At 11:47, the president reached the sanctum sanctorum and paid her obeisance to lord Ayyappa by chanting the ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’ hymn. Melshanthi Arun Kumar brought the camphor lit from the shrine for the President to pay obeisance. She then took the offerings and smeared the sandal paste from the temple on her forehead.

The President, who stood in front of the sanctum sanctorum with devotion for about ten minutes, then walked towards the Ganapathi shrine. At 12 noon, they also had a darshan at the Malikapuram temple via a flyover.

The President later came to Mani Mandapam and inquired about the legend associated with it. Later, she had darshan at the Nagaraja Temple and the Navagraha Temple. She then visited the Vavar Swami temple. The Vavar representative blessed her as per the tradition. Without caring to rest, the president returned to Pamba.

After lunch at the guest house, she left for Pramadom by car at 2.30 pm. At 4.15 pm, the President returned to Thiruvananthapuram by helicopter.