The Supreme Court is hearing a petition challenging the ban on women between 10 and 50 entering the ancient Sabarimala temple.
Highlights
- Top Court says 'gender justice in danger' if women can't enter temples
- Sabarimala Temple denies entry to young women as they are 'unclean'
- Petitioners say denying entry to women in temples just like sati, dowry
Amid the huge controversy over women demanding their right to enter temples where they have been traditionally banned, the Supreme court today said restricting their entry to Kerala's Sabarimala temple -- one of the holiest shrines of India -- puts "gender justice in danger."
While hearing a petition about allowing entry to women, the court said, "Anyone can worship a God or Goddess. You have structured God into an idol. Can you say don't come because you are a woman? The ground in this case is that gender justice is in danger."
Asking if tradition can "over-ride constitutional provisions," Justice Deepak Mishra said, "Can we constitutionally reconcile with the idea that women can't be allowed in sanctum sanctorum... Can a woman be denied permission to climb Mount Everest?"
The top court's comments come two weeks after Bombay High Court ordered Maharashtra government to ensure that women are not denied entry at any temple. The order was in response to a petition that challenged the prohibition of women's entry to the shrine area of Maharashtra's Shani Shingnapur temple.
In case of Sabarimala, the petitioners said the practice "is like sati and dowry which were also once a part of religion when they were abolished".
Young women are traditionally not allowed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple - the famous shrine to Ayyappa -- since they are considered "unclean" during menstruation. Ayyappa is considered a celibate yogi.
Last year, a huge controversy had erupted after one of the temple officials said women will be allowed inside the temple the day a machine is invented to detect if they were menstruating.
The comment had triggered fury among activists and women, campaigns were held on Facebook and Twitter saw a barrage of angry messages.
Denying the temple was discriminating on the issue, Rahul Ishwar, grandson of the main priest and petitioner in the case, said, "Just like a female and male cricket team, there are rules."
The matter will be taken up for hearing again on Wednesday.