Sabarimala row: 2 women stopped 1km from shrine

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two women devotees below the age of 45, who started trekking the holly path of Sabarimala on Monday morning, have been blocked by the devotees down the Nadapandhal.

The incident came a day after 11 women from Tamil Nadu had to be sent back in the face of steep protests mounted by traditional Lord Ayyappa devotees.




Even though the police gave protection to trek them up to the hilltop, a large number of devotees have gathered now at Nadapandhal.

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Earlier, the police had used force to remove the protestors at Appachimedu and Marakuttam. However, the number of protestors have now increased and the police are unable to use force now.

Bindu from Malappuram and Durga of Kozhikode are on their way to the hilltop shrine in Kerala under heavy police protection. Bindu and Durga, escorted by police, have reached Marakootam, about a kilometer from the Sannidhanam. They are waiting for more police personnel to accompany them.

Bindu said the government should deploy more force to remove the protestors. She said the police had given enough security till now, but now they have become helpless since there are more number of protestors than the policemen.

Both women said they will not go back until they have darshan. They said they have come on their own and there was no external influence.

Bindu said they have come to peotect the rights of dalit and adivasi communities at Sabrimala and they are true devotees.

"We are here to seek 'darshan' (offer prayers) of Lord Ayyappa. The Supreme Court order must be enforced and hope, police will provide us security," Bindu told media while on the way to Sabarimala.

Meanwhile, to block the entry of women into Sannidhanam, devotees are now sitting at Nadaoamdhal chanting Ayyappa namajapam.

The temple town has witnessed protests by Hindu groups since the September 28 Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple, including those from the hitherto banned age group of 10 to 50 years.

Ever since the verdict, around three dozen women from the hitherto banned age group have tried and failed to go up the pathway leading to the temple, following protest from the believers.

On Sunday, 11 women from Tamil Nadu in that age group failed to reach the temple, after massive protests broke out against them forcing the police and the women to flee to safety.

With inputs from agencies