India, Oct 22 : President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday visited the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, one of India’s most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites. She climbed the sacred ‘pathinettampadi’ (18 steps) carrying the traditional ‘Irumudikettu’ offering, accompanied by her bodyguards.
At the Sannidanam, she was received with the ‘poornakumbam’ by Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanan. ADC Saurabh S. Nair, PSO Vinay Mathur, and the President’s son in law Ganesh Chandra Hombram accompanied her to the sanctum with the Irumudikettu. Kerala Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan was also present to receive the President. After participating in the ‘Uchapuja’ (special afternoon prayers), she rested at the Devaswom Guest House.
President Murmu reached Pathanamthitta by helicopter in the morning and proceeded by road to Pampa, the base station of the Sabarimala shrine. She performed the traditional rituals, including tying the Irumudi at Pampa Ganapathi temple, before traveling via Swami Ayyappan Road to Sannidhanam in a four wheel vehicle. This made her the first head of state to reach Sannidhanam by vehicle, a landmark first since President V.V. Giri’s 1973 visit when the dolly service was introduced for his journey.
The President will return to Thiruvananthapuram later in the evening and attend a dinner hosted by Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar at Hotel Hyatt Regency.