Sabarimala temple: Trichy resident Latha, 52, trekked up with her family to Sabarimala temple
Highlights
- With tears in her eyes, the woman said it was her second pilgrimage
- Two under-50 women had almost walked to history but had to turn back
- Women reporters have been attacked, their vehicles vandalised
High drama unfolded outside Sabarimala temple this afternoon when a woman from Tamil Nadu was stopped from entering the temple by devotees who thought she was under 50. They let her walk up the 18 golden steps that lead to the shrine of Lord Ayyappa only after checking her identity paper with her date of birth mentioned on it. Carrying the traditional prayer kit irumudikkettu offered to Lord Ayyappa, Trichy resident Latha who trekked up with her family was near the temple when some protesting devotees saw her and formed a wall, blocking her way.
Latha, tears in her eyes, showed her identity card to prove her age. "This is my second pilgrimage to Sabarimala. I came here last year too," she said.
Hundreds of policemen in riot gear have been deployed at the base camps near the Sabarimala temple and an equal number of protesting devotees are lying in wait to prevent women of menstruating age from entering the shrine to Lord Ayyappa nestled in the Western Ghats.
Today is the fourth day since the temple was opened after the Supreme Court last month overturned a centuries-old ban on women between 10 and 50 years entering Sabarimala.
No woman below 50 has made it to Sabarimala temple; none has turned up at the base camp so far today.
Hundreds of policemen have been deployed at the base camps near the Sabarimala temple
On Friday, two under-50 women almost walked to history but had to turn back 500 metres from the 18 golden steps at Sabarimala temple. The temple's priests also threatened to close the shrine if the two women somehow managed to enter the compound. A third woman who did not ask for police protection did not even start the climb and went back.
A court today denied bail to activist Rahul Easwar, who was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attacking some women at the Nilakkal base camp. He has denied the allegations. The next hearing is on October 22.
Women reporters were attacked, their vehicles vandalised and stones were thrown at them on Wednesday when the temple reopened. A day later two reporters of The New York Times were forced to turn back from the 5-km trek to the temple.
Kerala Inspector General S Sreejith, who on Friday led the police team that formed a protective ring around the two women, Hyderabad journalist Kavitha Thakkal and Kochi resident Rehana Fatima, said the police will provide all the protection devotees need to trek up to the temple. "... But darshan is something which can be done with consent of the priest. We will give them whatever protection they want," Mr Sreejith said.