Fact Check: President Murmu shares images of Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy idol? No, it is Malikappurathamma
After President Droupadi Murmu’s historic visit to Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, an image is going viral with the claim that her photo also features the Ayyappa Swamy idol, which is not supposed to be photographed.
By - K Sherly Sharon
Claim:The image shows President Droupadi Murmu in front of the Ayyappa Swamy idol in Sabarimala.
Fact:The claim is misleading. The image does not show the Ayyappa Swamy idol in Sabarimala. It shows the Malikappurathamma idol on the same premises.
Hyderabad: President Droupadi Murmu made a historic visit to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on October 23. She became the second president and the first woman head of state to visit the hilltop temple. Former President VV Giri had previously visited in the 1970s.
An image of the president inside the Sabarimala Temple is going viral on social media with the claim that it also shows the Ayyappa Swamy idol.
Sharing the image on Facebook, a user wrote, “The President of India at Sacred Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy Sannidhi.” (Archive)
Social media users made posts stating that the X account of the President of India, '@rashtrapatibhvn’, shared the viral image and later deleted it. An X user said that photographing the Ayyappa idol is not allowed and questioned how the President of India could have the image.
A post making a similar claim can be seen here. (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The image does not show the Ayyappa Swamy idol in Sabarimala. It shows the Malikappurathamma idol, which is in the Sabarimala temple premises.
We contacted the Travancore Devaswom Board, which informed us that the viral image does not show the Ayyappa Swamy temple in Sabarimala.
They told NewsMeter, “The image shows the Malikapurathamma idol. It is another temple in the Sabarimala Sannidhanam.”
They shared images of President Droupadi in front of the Ayyappa Swamy idol. In the images, the Ayyappa Swamy idol is not visible. However, a clear distinction in the temple carvings can be observed.
According to the official website of Kerala Tourism, Malikappurathamma holds a place of great significance as the most important sub-deity at Sabarimala.
“Devotees who ascend the Pathinettampadi (18 steps) and bow to Sri Dharma Shasta must pay their respects to Malikappurathamma upon their return,” states the website.
Therefore, it is clear that the image does not show the Ayyappa Swamy idol in Sabarimala. It shows the Malikappurathamma idol in the same premises. NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is misleading.
