Thiruvananthapuram – A last-minute landing site switch due to inclement weather led to an unexpected snag for President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter during her official visit to Kerala, as the aircraft became briefly mired in a freshly laid helipad that gave way under its weight.
The incident unfolded Wednesday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pramadam, where the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopter touched down. Authorities had hastily constructed the concrete pad late Tuesday after shifting the planned landing from Nilackal, near the Pamba base of the Sabarimala hill shrine, to avoid foul conditions. However, the surface had not fully cured, resulting in shallow depressions where the chopper’s wheels settled.
Once President Murmu disembarked and proceeded by road convoy to Pamba for her ascent to the temple, a team of local policemen and fire force members sprang into action. They manually nudged the helicopter free from the indentations, ensuring no delays to the president’s schedule. A senior police officer attributed the subsidence to the material’s incomplete hardening, explaining, “The concrete had not set completely, and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter’s weight when it landed, and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground.”
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The episode preceded a landmark moment in the president’s four-day itinerary. Arriving in the state capital Tuesday evening, Murmu made history as the first female head of state to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala. Her visit marks only the second by an Indian president to the site, following V.V. Giri’s pilgrimage in the 1970s.
After the darshan, the president was set to return to Thiruvananthapuram by evening. Her agenda continues Thursday with the unveiling of a bust honoring former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan. She will then launch the Mahasamadhi Centenary observances of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala and cap the day by addressing the Platinum Jubilee finale of St. Thomas College in Pala, Kottayam district.
Murmu’s tour wraps up October 24 with participation in the centenary festivities of St. Teresa’s College in Ernakulam, underscoring her engagement with Kerala’s cultural and educational landmarks.
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