Murmu Makes Historic Sabarimala Visit; Helipad Sinks

President Droupadi Murmu made a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine on October 22 as part of a four-day Kerala visit (Oct. 21–24), becoming the first woman head of state and only the second president after V.V. Giri to offer prayers there. She was received by temple authorities and state officials and followed traditional customs — washing her feet at Pamba, carrying the irumudikkettu prepared by the melshanthi, and climbing the 18 holy steps for darshan — a visit framed as symbolically significant after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on women’s entry. Earlier in the trip she was welcomed in Thiruvananthapuram by Kerala’s governor, chief minister and a union minister, and her engagements included unveiling a bust of former president K.R. Narayanan and participating in cultural observances. The trip was marred by a safety incident when, after Nilackal was ruled out because of bad weather, a last‑minute helipad at Pramadam (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium) that had not fully set partially sank as her helicopter landed and its wheels became stuck. Police and fire personnel manually pushed the aircraft out of the depression and ensured safety, and Murmu continued by road to Pamba without delay to perform the rituals. She also met a BJP delegation that raised local concerns, including a reported Sabarimala gold-theft issue.