PATHANAMTHITTA: President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Sabarimala on Wednesday will echo a historic pilgrimage from five decades ago. Then President
V V Giri was the first sitting Head of State to visit Lord Ayyappa’s sacred abode. As Murmu prepares to step onto the same spiritual path, Sabarimala once again finds itself at the intersection of faith and history.
On April 10, 1973, from the early hours of the day, the forested slopes of Sabarimala came alive with chants and sounds of 1,001 fireworks heralding the arrival of the nation’s First Citizen V V Giri. Travancore Devaswom Board, under its then president B Madhavan Nair, had made elaborate arrangements for the visit.
The President, accompanied by his family, spent over three hours at Sannidhanam, offering prayers and witnessing the ucchapooja. The National Flag was hoisted in front of the TDB office, a rare honour reserved for the Head of State’s visit.
Given the steep terrain, Giri was carried from Pampa to Sannidhanam in a ‘churalkasera’ (wooden chair) escorted by security and temple officials. That moment also marked the beginning of the dolly service at Sabarimala, which later became a lifeline for elderly and differently-abled pilgrims.
Deeply moved by the devotion and service of the eight men who bore his dolly, the President expressed a wish that they be given employment at the Raj Bhavan. Though only a few could be traced later, one among them went on to serve for decades as part of the Thiruvabharanam procession.
Five decades on, as another President prepares to visit the Sabarimala, echoes of that historic day in 1973 linger on.
