President Droupadi Murmu in front of the 18 Holy Steps of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple on Wednesday. | Photo credit: special arrangement
A day after President Droupadi Murmu visited the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple on Wednesday (October 22, 2025), a controversy erupted over an alleged violation of temple protocol after Rashtrapati Bhavan released a photograph of him praying at the Malikappuram Devi Temple.
An image shared on Rashtrapati Bhavan’s social media account showed the interior of the sanctum sanctorum as well as the idol. It immediately drew criticism for revealing a sacred space not intended for public display. After the backlash, Rashtrapati Bhavan deleted the post later in the day.
But even after it was removed, the topic snowballed into discussion on social media, with many defending or opposing the photo. The controversy intensified when the Deputy Superintendent of Police posted a WhatsApp status criticizing the Rashtrapati Bhavan for “violating traditions”, while noting that both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were silent on the matter.
‘violation’
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sources confirmed that the photo was a breach of traditional protocol as the image appeared to show the face of a deity. “Further viewing the visit in the light of the Supreme Court’s earlier order not to disturb the devotees, the arrival of the VVIPs caused significant disruption to the pilgrimage on October 21 and 22,” they noted.
When contacted, TDB president PS Prasanth said he had not received any such issue officially. “It is not correct to say that the pilgrimage was disrupted. Devotees could visit the hill temple on Wednesday shortly after the President’s departure,” he said.
Meanwhile, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom general secretary D. Vijayakumar expressed concern over how the President was taken in a motorcade to the hill. “But since all this was done with the permission of the High Court, there is no room for complaint,” he pointed out.
“No established protocols”
However, SJR Kumar, General Convener of Sabarimala Karma Samiti, maintained that there is nothing wrong in using the vehicle. “There are no set protocols on how a devotee should climb the hill. Such protocols apply only to the 18 holy steps that lead to the temple. Vehicles, including tractors and ambulances, have been used between Pampa and Sannidhanam for a long time. The restrictions were imposed only after the Supreme Court’s intervention, not because of any temple custom,” he explained.
Published – 23 Oct 2025 17:59 IST
