Supreme Court to hear Sabarimala petitions before temple reopening in Nov

There were 19 review petitions pending in Supreme Court seeking a review of its order allowing women of all ages entry into the Sabarimala temple.

india Updated: Oct 23, 2018 14:34 IST

Devotees pay obeisance Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Kerala has been witnessing massive protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple after the government decided to implement the apex court order. (PTI)

Four days before the Sabarimala temple in Kerala reopens on November 17 for monthly rituals, the Supreme Court will hear petitions on November 13 challenging its verdict allowing women of all age groups entry into the temple, the court said Tuesday.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul told lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara that it has already passed an order with regard to listing of petitions on November 13. Nedumpara was mentioning the petition filed by National Ayyappa Devotees Association, PTI reported.

There were 19 review petitions pending in the matter, filed by the Association and others seeking a review of its Sabarimala verdict.

On September 28, a five-judge constitution bench by a 4:1 majority had held that women of all age groups should be allowed entry into Sabarimala Temple. On October 9, the court had declined an urgent hearing on Nedumpara’s plea which had contended that the five-judge Constitution bench verdict lifting the ban was “absolutely untenable and irrational”.

The petition filed by Shylaja Vijayan, president, National Ayyappa Devotees Association through Nedumpara, had submitted that, “Faith cannot be judged by scientific or rationale reasons or logic”.

Despite the top court order, no woman between 10 to 50 years of age was able to worship at the temple which had opened on October 17 for six days for monthly puja. The government’s decision to implement the Supreme Court order had angered devotees of Lord Ayyappa and sparked protests across the state.

At least 12 women, including journalists and activists, had tried to trek to the temple nestled in the Western Ghats during the six days; two of them were just 50 metres away from the sanctum sanctorum.

But every one of them was turned away by a wall of resistance mounted by protesters who claim women of menstrual age cannot enter the shrine because the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is considered celibate.

First Published: Oct 23, 2018 14:04 IST