Few women who had wanted to make it to the Sabarimala temple have given up.
Three days after the hill-shrine Sabarimala opened its doors to the public, devotees continued to lay seige to the holy hill on yesterday - with hundreds of traditionalists blocking three women from entering the Sabarimala temple for a third day, vandalising vehicles in open defiance of the police and threatening to force back any woman who dares visit the temple.
A Supreme Court decision to end a nearly three-decade-old ban on women of "menstruating age" -- those between 10 and 50 years -- from visiting has sparked violent demonstrations on the roads leading to the complex. On Friday, journalist Kavitha Jakkal and activist Rehana Fatima were just 500 metres away from the final 18 golden steps leading to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala when they had to beat a retreat amid threats to close down the temple. Another woman, Mary Sweety had also reached Pamba to visit temple, but was refused protection and sent back by Police. The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) which manages the temple has it would file a detailed report on the situation to the Supreme Court.
Here are the Highlights of the Sabarimala temple opening:
Update: The woman will not be climbing to Sabarimala today. Police sources cite heavy rainfall , and back ground check as reason
Police to decide to security cover for morning, depending upon her background check.
The woman will have to walk the muddy uphill path surrounded by a group of policemen in riot gear. If she succeeds in entering the temple, she will make history.
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 in this age group has made it to the temple.
A 38 year old woman named SP Manju has reached the base camp to enter Sabarimala. She has sought police protection
No relief for Activist Rahul Easwar
Rahul Easwar to remain in jail. Court asks for police report to be filed on 22nd October.
A woman devotee was allowed to walk to the Sabarimala temple after the authorities at Pamba base camp verified her age to be 52. The woman identified as Trichy resident Latha was allowed to go after she showed her identity papers with her date of birth mentioned in it.
She was carrying the idumudi kit on her head and had come with her family.
A nine-year-old girl at Sabarimala grabbed attention after she was seen with a placard, which read she will again visit the temple after she crosses 50.
Rahul Easwar's bail plea to be heard today
Activist Rahul Easwar, a prominent face of the campaign that challenged the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 at Kerala's famous Sabarimala Temple was arrested from Nilakkal base camp on Thursday.
Here's what happened on day 2 of Sabarimala temple opening:
- Journalist Kavitha Jakkal and activist Rehana Fatima were just 500 metres from the final 18 golden steps leading to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala when they had to beat a retreat. A third woman, Mary Sweety, did not even make it that far as the police told her they would not be able to give her security, that she was on her own.
- The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) announced that it would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its verdict.
- The centre asked the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to tighten security and monitor the dissemination of "adverse" messages through the social media.
Visuals of heavy security deployed at Nilakkal ahead of day four of Sabarimala temple's opening. Nilakkal is the main entrance to Sabarimala.