Male devotees continue protests at Sabarimala against entry of women.
On the second day of the re-opening of the Sabarimala temple, protests continue against the entry of women of menstruating age into the temple. Fresh protests erupted on Tuesday morning when a woman, thought to be in her menstruating age, was heard of being around the temple premises.
The police later informed that the woman who attempted to enter temple premises was a 52-years-old. The lady and her son and the man accompanying them were given police protection and taken to the Sannidhanam police station.
Amid the protests, journalists were attacked and a cameraperson was injured at the base camp in Pamba.
Over 1,000 security personnel, including a 20-member commando team and 100 women, were deployed in the area on Monday to maintain law and order.
Here are the Highlights from the second-day of protests at Sabarimala:
TV cameraman attacked in Sabarimala templeA cameraman of a Malayalam television news channel was attacked, allegedly by angry devotees, at the Lord Ayyappa temple complex today when he was filming a protest organised to prevent the entry of a woman, whom they suspected to be of menstrual age.
The news channel also alleged that the agitators threw a coconut at him, which devotees offer to the deity. Vishnu was seen handing over his camera safely to other journalists standing below the sunshade.
An RSS leader allegedly violated the traditions of the temple. Valsan Thillankeri was seen standing on the holy steps without the 'idumudi kit' on his head. He also came down the steps in a wrong way.
It is alleged that the leader climbed the steps to appeal for a calm atmosphere in the area and the area surrounding the temple, when a woman had entered Sabarimala
Amid protests and chaos, Lalitha was later taken to a hospital after she complained of uneasiness.
However, after a while she and some of her relatives returned and offered prayers at the temple. "We didn't expect such a situation," Lalitha said.
Shouting Ayyappa slogans the protesters stopped two women from advancing any further. This was despite the fact that they were above 50 years, the police said.
Police intervened and after ascertaining the woman's age informed the protesters that she was not in the 'barred' age group and escorted her away.
On Tuesday, the 52-year-old woman, Lalitha had gone to the temple with 19 relatives, including women, for her grandson's 'chorunnu' (rice giving ceremony).
She was near the 'nadapandal' -- the area just before devotees climb the 18 steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum -- when her group was blocked by the protesting mob
Media Barred Local media channels said journalists were heckled in the protests, however, police denied that any such incident occurred.
On Monday also, media personnel were not allowed to leave Nilackal for Pamba and 'Sannidhanam' (temple complex) from the base camp till 9 am this morning.
Atleast 12 women tried to enter the temple last month, none could make history as they were blocked and heckled by close to a thousand protesters who had stationed themselves inside the temple as devotees. One woman even suffered a panic attack.
Two other women who came as close as 200 metres from the main temple zone also had to return after the chief priest threatened to shut the temple and stop rituals.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Monday made it clear that the state government had no right to interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala and its role was confined to maintaining law and order in the area.
It could not interfere with the affairs of the temple management and dictate to the Devaswom (temple administration) Board, the court said.
For the first time, 15 policewomen were posted for security at the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala. Their main qualification for this job is that all are 50 and above, compliant with the temple's ban on women of a menstrual age or between 10 and 50 years.
A 30-year-old woman who had reached the Pamba base camp with plans to enter the Sabarimala shrine turned back on Monday amid mounting protests by right-wing groups.
Alappuzha district resident Anju told police that she was not keen on visiting the Lord Ayyappa temple, and had come only on her husband Abhilash's insistence that she accompany him and their two minor children on the pilgrimage.
Yesterday, a 25-year-old woman, heading for the shrine with her husband and two children, was stopped at Pamba, the base camp from where devotees start the trek to the hill top shrine.
"We have information a woman on way to the temple but nobody has approached us so far for security," a police official at Pamba told news agency PTI on Monday.
Despite the Supreme Court's order allowing women of all age groups into the temple, no woman in the age group of 10 to 50 years have yet been able to visit Sabarimala temple since the top court's order on September 28
Fifty-two-year-old Lalitha, along with her son was escorted by cops on her visit. "I am not afraid, I want darshan of Lord Ayyappa," Lalithaa told reporters.
The temple opened on Monday evening for the special "Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal" puja today, marking the birthday of the last king of Travancore -- Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
Fresh protests intensified around Sabarimala temple as the shrine to Lord Ayappa got ready to open its doors for hundreds of devotees gathered at the shrine.