President Droupadi Murmu will make history on May 19 by becoming the first sitting President of India to visit and pray at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple in Kerala. The Travancore Devaswom Board, which looks after the temple, has confirmed her visit and called it a special moment for both the temple and the country.

Her visit to the temple is part of a two-day trip to Kerala. She will first attend a private event in Kottayam on May 18. The next day, she will go to the Nilakkal helipad near the temple and then head to the Pampa base camp. From there, she may either walk the 4.25 km uphill path like regular pilgrims or take a steep emergency road to reach the temple. The Special Protection Group (SPG), in charge of her security, will decide how she will travel to the shrine.

This is the first time a sitting President is visiting the Sabarimala temple,” said PS Prasanth. He explained that the Special Protection Group (SPG) will decide whether President Murmu will walk up the hill like other pilgrims or be taken by vehicle. “We will follow whatever the SPG instructs,” he added.

Although the official schedule is still awaited, preparations have already been going on for a few weeks. “We’ve been hearing about the visit for the past two to three weeks. Now that it’s confirmed, road repairs and other works have been speeded up. Once the official program is released, the Chief Minister will hold a meeting to review the arrangements. This is going to be a historic visit,” Prasanth said.

President Murmu’s visit will happen at the end of special prayers for the Malayalam month of Edavam. The temple, which opened on May 14 for its monthly rituals, usually sees a large number of visitors. However, due to the President’s visit, the authorities have announced restrictions for May 18 and 19. Devotees won’t be allowed darshan on these two days, and the virtual queue ticket system has been temporarily stopped to ensure security.

Sabarimala, located 3,000 feet above sea level in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, is one of South India’s most sacred pilgrimage sites. Devotees usually follow a 41-day penance before starting a barefoot trek from the Pampa River to the temple. They also carry an Irumudi, a special prayer bundle that is required to climb the temple’s 18 holy steps and reach the inner sanctum.

President Murmu is expected to prepare the Irumudi at the Pampa base camp, though this is yet to be confirmed by her office. “She will be the first President to ever offer prayers here. It is indeed a moment of pride,” said PS Prasanth.

The last time a high-ranking leader visited Sabarimala was in the early 1960s, when VV Giri came to the shrine as the Governor of Kerala, years before he became President in 1969. President Murmu’s upcoming visit is, therefore, a rare and meaningful moment in the temple’s history.