Hindu devotees stop a car to check if any women of menstruating age are headed towards the Sabarimala temple, at Nilakkal Base camp in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. (REUTERS)

Despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s assurance that no one would be allowed to block devotees from proceeding to Sabarimala temple, protesters checked vehicles on their way to the shrine on Tuesday in an attempt to stop women of menstruating age. There were virtually no police personnel present to stop this. Women journalists who tried to reach the hill temple as part of official assignments were also stopped at Nilackal, the base camp to the hill shrine.

Tension mounted at Nilackal ahead of opening of the Lord Ayappa temple on Wednesday evening for monthly prayers. It is the first time the shrine is opening after the recent Supreme Court order allowed women of all ages to enter the temple, overturning the tradition of keeping out those within the menstruating age group.

The temple governing body on Tuesday failed to win over the thantri and the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam agitating over the Supreme Court order. The Sabarimala temple was once owned by the royal family of Pandalam, and its administration was handed over to the then princely state of Travancore in 1949.

The Travancore Devaswom Board had convened a meeting of the thantri and royal family, who have the final say in the traditions and rituals at the temple. After the meeting, devaswom board president A Padmakumar said, “The royal family and thantri wanted that a decision on (filing a) review petition should be taken today itself. Besides, they demanded that the status quo be maintained regarding the entry of women (between the ages of 10-50) when monthly ritual begins. It is not possible for the board to go against the Supreme Court verdict,” Padmakumar said.

He added that the board would meet on October 19 to decide the legal course of action, including moving a review petition in the apex court. Groups of women devotees, including senior citizens, could be seen stopping each and every vehicle, including Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, at Nilackal, and asking young women to get out. Nilackal is located about 20 km from the temple. Local TV channels showed visuals of some college students being taken off a bus, reportedly because they were wearing black. Ayyappa devotees wear black clothes and a chain of beads during the pilgrimage.

One of the women agitators said, “No woman belonging to the age group of 10-50 will be allowed to travel further from Nilackal. The checking of vehicles en route to Sabarimala by women, chanting ‘Swamiya Saranam Ayyappa’ mantras aloud and clapping their hands, began Monday evening.

This is despite Vijayan warning “stern action” against those who prevent devotees from going to Sabarimala. He had also made it clear that the government had no intention to file a review petition on the matter, said it would implement the apex court order, and asserted that they had taken a stand that there should not be any discrimination on the basis of gender.

At the same time, the LDF government clarified that it would not bring any law to put the policy into practice. “But, will go by what the Supreme Court says,” Vijayan said. Though the government had earlier considered deploying women police personnel at Sannidhanam, the temple complex and the ‘pathinettam padi’, the sacred 18 steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum, the plan was dropped following protests by devotees.

Referring to the statement of BJP president P S Sreedharan Pillai that the government would be responsible for any law and order situation on the issue, Vijayan said it was the saffron party that was trying to create problem in the state. The CM also condemned the remark of a BJP supporter and actor Kollam Thulasi that “women who go to Sabarimala temple defying the custom should be ripped apart”.

Kerala has been witnessing intense protests by Lord Ayyappa devotees, including women, and right-wing outfits against the implementation of the apex court verdict. A 32-year-old woman, hailing from Kannur, had Monday complained that she was being slut-shamed and subjected to threats and abuses on social media after she announced her decision to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The temple would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly puja.

-With PTI