The Sabarimala temple is set to close at 10 pm on Monday after five days, bringing an end to the first period of pilgrimage since the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict last month allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine.
Protestors have stopped 10 women from praying at the hill shrine since it opened on Wednesday. Women of menstruating age have traditionally not been allowed into the temple, but the Supreme Court order put an end to the restriction.
There have been protests outside the shrine since Wednesday, when the temple gates opened to devotees for monthly rituals for the first time since the court’s order. Protestors have blocked women devotees, activists and journalists who have tried to enter the temple since Wednesday.
On Sunday, four women were forced to stop their trek to the shrine. Two women were blocked at Neelimala, the entry point to the trekking path, one at Nadapanthal and another at Pamba. The first three women were taken back to Pamba, an important landmark on the route to Sabarimala.
A 52-year-old woman was able to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala on Saturday only after she showed protestors proof of her age. The situation had grown tense outside the shrine after rumours claimed the woman was younger than 50.
The police also turned away a Dalit woman in her 30s who had come to Pamba to visit the shrine on Saturday. The police told Manju, a leader of the Kerala Dalit Federation, that she cannot proceed to the temple due to security reasons. She vowed to return either on Sunday or Monday.
As per the reports, about 2000 men are present at Sannidhanam to block women from entering the temple. The police are trying to move them away. The protesters, however, has decided to strengthen their protest even if the police stand in the way. The government think that if they fail to bring a woman to the temple, people will see it as a success of Sangh Parivar over left parties.
Post Your Comments