Thiruvananthapuram: President Droupadi Murmu's planned visit to the Sabarimala temple, which was initially cancelled due to heightened India-Pakistan tensions, has been rescheduled for May 19. Rashtrapati Bhavan officially informed the Kerala state government of the revised schedule.
The President's visit to the southern state, initially slated for May 18-19, was called off as a consequence of increased tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to the cancellation of all official programs. Consequently, the Sabarimala temple administration suspended virtual queue bookings and imposed restrictions on devotees for those dates.
Following the initial cancellation, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the temple, announced the resumption of the virtual queue system. However, with the confirmation of the rescheduled visit, the Devaswom Board has declared that virtual queue booking will again be unavailable on May 18 and 19.
This visit will mark the second time an Indian President has visited the Sabarimala temple after V V Giri. The President is expected to arrive in Kerala on May 18 and attend a jubilee conference at St Thomas College, Pala, in Kottayam district. After an overnight stay in Kumarakom, also in Kottayam, President Murmu will reach Nilakkal by helicopter on May 19.
From Nilakkal, the President is expected to travel to Pamba by road and then likely proceed to the Sabarimala temple on foot. The Kerala government has instructed relevant authorities to make the necessary arrangements for the President's visit.
The rescheduling aligns with the Sabarimala temple's scheduled opening for the Edava month pujas on Wednesday. Authorities had already completed security preparations, including intelligence gathering and police deployment, in anticipation of the visit.
The Devaswom Board is expected to reinstate adjustments to the virtual queue system following the rescheduling. Border tensions had earlier led to restrictions on air traffic and VVIP travel, prompting the initial cancellation notification on May 10.
