New Delhi: As the Sabarimala temple doors are set to open to devotees again, Kerala braces for more protests. Early this morning, activist Trupti Desai arrived at the Kochi airport and faced stiff protests by BJP activists who had gathered there along with several protesters. She was accompanied by 6 others who were unable to get out of the airport. Ms Desai had, earlier in the week, sent an email to the Kerala chief minister seeking security during her travel to the hill shrine. Ms Desai has decided to return back to Pune after protests.
The Sabarimala temple opened around 5 pm for the third time after the Supreme Court ruling that lifted the ban on entry of women between the age 10 to 50.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an all-party meeting on Sabarimala, aimed at discussing the row over the entry of women of menstruating ages at the Sabarimala temple, ahead of the two-month long annual 'Mandala Makkaravillakku' or the pilgrimage season, set to start on November 17.
Here are the updates of the Sabarimala temple opening:
Nov 16, 2018 18:19 (IST)
BREAKING: Trupti Desai to return to Pune tonight, reports news agency ANI.
Nov 16, 2018 17:34 (IST)
BREAKING: Travancore Devaswom Board, managing the Ayyappa temple, decides to move Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its verdict on entry of women in the 10-50 age group.
Nov 16, 2018 17:27 (IST)
The Makaravilakku festival would be celebrated on January 14 after which the shrine will close on January 20, marking the culmination of the pilgrim season, when lakhs of devotees are expected to throng the shrine.
Nov 16, 2018 17:27 (IST)
The 41-day mandalam festival will conclude on December 27 after Mandala pooja, when the shrine will close after the 'Athazhapuja' in the evening. It would reopen for the Makaravilakku festival on December 30.
Nov 16, 2018 17:19 (IST)
Two new melsanthis (priests) M L Vasudevan Namboodiri (Ayyappa temple) and M N Narayanan Namboodiri (Malikapapuram) assumed charge.
Nov 16, 2018 17:19 (IST)
As the shrine opened at 5 pm in the presence of head priest Kandararu Rajeevaru, the large number of devotees present there chanted "Swamiyae Ayyappa".
Nov 16, 2018 17:11 (IST)
The 500 people who had applied online to visit the temple have not turned up to visit the temple.
Nov 16, 2018 16:52 (IST)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had gone to inaugurate the Mahasangam. He tweeted, "Amazing crowd at the Pathanamthitta Mahasangamam testifies both to the passions roused by the Sabarimala issue & the mass appeal of the responsible & moderate stand taken by the Congress."
Nov 16, 2018 16:44 (IST)
Rahul Easwar tweeted, "Trupti Desai faced peaceful protests in Kochi Airport 155 kms away from Holy Sanctum Sanctorum of #Sabarimala Ayyappa. Taxis not willing to take Mahishi Feminists. FemiNazis are going to know the strength of #Hindus, Malayalis & Ayyappa Devotees. #SaveSabarimala. Swamiyeee."
Nov 16, 2018 16:39 (IST)
Author Taslima Nasreen has questioned female activists "eager to enter" the temple:
"I do not understand why women activists are so eager to enter Sabarimala. Better they should enter the villages where women suffer from domestic violence, rape, sexual abusehate, where girls have no access to education, heath-care,and no freedom to take a job or get equal pay."
