Two women under the age of 50 years claimed that they were able to reach inside Kerala's Sabarimala temple on early Wednesday morning. According to a report, two women — Bindu and Kanakadurga — who tried for darshan last week, told a news channel that they had darshan on Wednesday at 3.30 am.
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PTI
Police support
Bindu said that they were given all support and assurance for the darshan by the police, and they had a smooth and hassle-free darshan on early hours of Wednesday. They said they faced no opposition from other devotees who were present. Though the police have not officially endorsed their claims, top police sources confirm that they had darshan around 3.30 am, and had come with police personnel accompanying them in plainclothes.
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PTI
How the women entered the shrine
The women avoided the traditional Pathinettam Padi route and the 18 holy steps, and also had come discreetly. Though the police do not confirm where they began their journey on Tuesday and where were they taken after darshan, sources said that they chose the late hours after 1 am to begin their ascent from Pamba so as to minimise any risk from protesters, even though they had kept the whole matter under the wraps.
Bindu who entered Sabarimala told Times of India that they spent quality time there and faced no opposition from the part of other devotees. The temple has been closed and 'purification rituals' are expected after the women's entry. Shortly after the completion of the 'purification ritual', the temple administration reopened the temple for the devotees.
Kerala chief minister supported the move and said the state administration has been instructed to provide all possible protection to women seeking an entry inside the temple.
"Today, two women entered Sabarimala temple. We had issued standing orders to police to provide all possible protection to any woman who wants to enter the temple," chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told ANI.
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'Purification' rite
The high priest of Sabarimala carried out a "purification ritual" on Wednesday after two women defied Hindu traditionalists to sneak inside for the first time since a landmark court ruling. As soon as news of Wednesday's breach spread, the temple head priest ordered the shrine closed for the purification ritual. It reopened after around an hour.
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Brewing protests
On December 30, amid heavy security, the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, had opened for the 21-day "Makaravilakku" festival. The Makaravillaku will be held on Januaury 14 and the shrine will be closed at 7 am on Januaury 20.
The Ayyappa temple had witnessed massive protests by devotees against the state government's decision to implement the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict, opening its doors to women of all ages to offer prayers.
Traditionally, girls and women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 years were barred from offering prayers at the temple, the presiding deity of which is "Naishtika Brahamachari" (perennial celebate).
On Tuesday, around 50 lakh women formed a 620-km-long 'Women's Wall' in Kerala. The wall was formed across the national highway which stretched from the northern tip of Kasaragod to the southern end in Thiruvananthapuram. Lakhs of women from across the country participated in this grand shoulder-to-shoulder parade, which was organised partially by the government. The women demonstrators also raised Sabarimala issue.
