Hundreds in city take part in ‘Save Sabarimala’ protest rally

Vadodara: South Indians settled in the city took out a rally to protest against the Supreme Court’s recent decision of allowing entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
Holding placards to ‘Save Sabarimala’ in English, Gujarati and Hindi languages, men and women of all age groups joined the rally that started from Polo Ground and covered all major spots before returning back to the ground on Sunday.

Called ‘Nama Japa Yatra’, women dressed in ‘set saree’ with a black ribbon attached to it, joined the rally in large numbers while youngsters played traditional music with chants of “Swamiye Ayyappa”.

The call for Sunday’s rally was given by the ‘Save Sabarimala Joint Action Front’ – an coalition of all South Indian temples, religious and socio-cultural organizations operating from Ayyappa temple, Gotri. The joint action front is demanding that the Kerala government or the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) should file a review petition in the Supreme Court as most Hindu temples in Kerala have been established and consecrated under the tantric tradition.

A memorandum prepared by the front’s office-bearers states that each temple has its own set of customs, rituals and practices that are essential and integral to its tradition.

“There are many temples in Kerala where men are not allowed during certain times, during certain festivals. It is factually wrong to call (banning entry of women of certain age) gender discrimination,” the memorandum addressed to Kerala government, central government and President states.

Like protesters elsewhere in the country, the joint action front in Vadodara is demanding that TDB which is mandated to protect the interest of temple worshippers acts in a fair and free manner without being influenced by political parties.

The protesters demanded that the board should immediately submit a review petition against the order in the apex court.

“If both the TDB and the Kerala government are not ready, the centre or President of India must intervene in this anti-Hindu approach of the state government and issue an ordinance,” the memorandum further states.