President Murmu to Make Historic Visit to Sabarimala on May 19

President Droupadi Murmu is set to create history on May 19 by becoming the first sitting President of India to visit and offer prayers at the revered Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple in Kerala. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, confirmed the visit, calling it a moment of great pride for the temple and the nation.

The President’s visit to the hill shrine is part of her two-day trip to Kerala. She will arrive in the state on May 18 and attend a private function in Kottayam district. The following morning, she is scheduled to travel to the Nilakkal helipad and then proceed to the Pampa base camp near the Sabarimala shrine. From there, she will either trek the traditional 4.25-kilometre uphill route or be driven along a special emergency road. The Special Protection Group (SPG), which is handling her security arrangements, will make the final decision on the mode of travel.

“This is the first time a President of India has decided to visit the Sabarimala shrine,” said PS Prasanth, President of the Travancore Devaswom Board. “We are awaiting the official itinerary, but preparations have already begun. The SPG will take the call on whether she will trek or use the emergency road.”

Prasanth noted that the idea of the visit had been under discussion for the past few weeks, and as soon as confirmation came, the state administration began urgent repair work on roads and other infrastructure. “Once the formal schedule is received, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to convene a high-level review meeting,” he added.

To ensure the President’s visit proceeds smoothly, the authorities have imposed restrictions on public darshan at the shrine on May 18 and 19. Virtual queue bookings for these days have been suspended, and access to the temple will be limited. The temple, which opened on May 14 for the Malayalam month of Edavam, usually sees a surge in pilgrims during this period.

Located at an altitude of about 3,000 feet in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, Sabarimala is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations in South India. Traditionally, devotees follow a 41-day penance and carry an Irumudi — a sacred prayer bundle — before undertaking the trek to the temple. Prasanth hinted that the President may also carry an Irumudi, although final details are still being worked out by her office.

The last high-profile visit to Sabarimala by a future President was by VV Giri during his tenure as Kerala Governor in the early 1960s. Murmu’s visit, however, will be the first by a sitting President, marking a rare and symbolically powerful moment in the temple’s long history.

IT.