The Sabarimala temple opened it to devotees today, after a day of protests against the entry of women into the Lord Ayappa temple. The protests turned violent, with several protesters clashing with the police near the hilltop temple. Despite heavy police security, women journalists were beaten and their crew attacked. Kerala Left-led government has called these attacks politically motivated violence.
Last month, a historic Supreme Court ruling lifted the ban on the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 years. The trek leading up to the shrine has been opened to everyone. Four journalists from different media organisations were attacked, beaten up with sticks by angry protesters near the Nillakal base camp, some 20 kilometers away from the main shrine. Two women attempted the trek but were blocked by protesters. A 40-year-old woman and her family were heckled and intimidated as they walked towards the Sabarimala temple. Ten minutes into their trek, the family had to abandon their plans of praying to Lord Ayyappa inside Sabarimala.
Several devotees, mostly women, stopped and checked buses, cars and pulled out women asking them to go back yesterday. Kerala police has however ordered that anyone trying to obstruct entry will amount to criminal conspiracy and that heavy security will be deployed as the situations intensifies. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, in a press meet yesterday, said that government will not submit a review petition and that they will ensure facilities to allow all devotees to go to Sabarimala shrine today.