Kerala Wakf minister KT Jaleel on Saturday, created history by visiting the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala on Saturday. 

He became the first Muslim minister to visit the hill shrine.

The minister who also holds other posts including Local Self Governments and Welfare of Minorities, visited the shrine along with his cabinet colleague and Minister for Devaswom and Electricity Boards Kadakampally Surendran, to discuss the preparations for the coming pilgrimage season at Sabarimala.

After his visit, the minister, who had earlier quit the Indian Union of Muslim League to join CPI(M) said that Sabarimala was a temple where there were no religious barriers.

“By 1.15 am I reached Sabarimala. Stayed there at night, early morning visited the Ayyappa’s sanctum. Nobody is stopped from coming here. After that visited Vavar’s sanctum too. Vavar was the Muslim friend of Ayyappa. Their friendship remains even after centuries. Let that good old days come again,” the minister wrote on his Facebook page.

He also told media after visiting the shrine that extremists from religious communities should visit Sabarimala. “This hill bears the message of religious harmony in the past,” he said.