New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple in Kerala on Monday, becoming the first sitting President of India to offer prayers at this revered hill shrine.

The historic visit marks a major milestone for the temple, one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in the country.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the governing body that manages the temple, confirmed the President’s visit, calling it a momentous occasion.

President Murmu’s visit is part of a two-day tour of Kerala. On the morning of May 19, she is expected to reach the Nilakkal helipad and travel to the Pampa base camp. From there, she may either trek the 4.25 km uphill route to the temple like traditional devotees or take a vehicle via the steep emergency access road.

The final travel arrangement will be determined by the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is overseeing her security.

The temple, which opened on May 14 for the monthly rituals associated with the Malayalam month of Edavam, will conclude these observances around the time of her visit.

In anticipation of heightened security, the authorities have imposed restrictions at the shrine on May 18 and 19. Devotee access will be temporarily halted, and the virtual queue ticket system has been suspended for those days.

Located in the Western Ghats within Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, Sabarimala is one of India’s most sacred and frequently visited pilgrimage destinations, drawing millions of devotees each year.

Sabarimala, perched at an elevation of 3,000 feet, traditionally requires pilgrims to undergo a 41-day penance followed by a barefoot ascent from the banks of the Pampa River.

–IANS

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