Helicopter On Stand By For Women Who Plan To Enter Temple Today

Ahmednagar, Maharashtra: A temple in Maharashtra dedicated to Lord Shani (associated with the planet Saturn and regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) has turned into a staging ground for gender rights - 700 women activists say that today, they will force their way into the inner-most part of the shrine where a holy black stone is installed on an open-air platform.

The board that governs the temple - a woman was recently elected its first president - and some groups in Ahmednagar, 250 km from Mumbai, say they will resist by lining the area with human chains of more than 1,000 women. The groups claim that women can be "harmed" by the "strong vibrations emerging from Lord Shani", according to Monika Gawade, who spoke to the Indian Express.

"When men go there, it's perfect but when women go it becomes unsacred," said activist Trupti Desai. Ms Desai said that a helicopter has been booked for possible use to lower her, if needed, to the area that's been banned to women for centuries. The police has, however, refused permission for a helicopter to fly over the area, and has increased security to prevent the demonstration from turning violent.

The campaign and protests to end the ban on women began in November, when a woman entered the open platform to offer prayers. The priests then "purified" the area with milk and oil.

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