The Supreme Court’s poser on why can’t all women be permitted entry to the famed Sabarimala temple in Kerala on Monday received a mixed response, with some people expressing happiness and others wanting the tradition to continue. The court said women can not be denied entry into the temple on the grounds of equality under the Constitution. The next hearing on this matter is on February 8.
Advertisement
Directing that it would examine the challenge to the custom prohibiting the entry of women of this age group, the court observed that a “temple can’t prohibit entry except on the basis of religion”.
The temple, a prominent pilgrimage site among Hindus, does not permit women aged between 10 and 50.
Till a few years back, it was open only for two months – from mid-November to mid-January. It draws millions of devotees, mainly from southern India.
A campaign called “Happy To Bleed” was launched after Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that women should be allowed in the Sabarimala Temple only after the invention of a machine to ‘check the purity of women’. “The government is for the entire people”, said Sudhakaran.
“A decision on what should be told to the court has to be taken only after discussions with all concerned as faith is of prime importance”, he said.
The court gave permission to the government to submit an additional affidavit in the case.
Advertisement
“What’s wrong if women also come and pray here?” An attempt was made to prosecute Kannada actor Jaimala on the plea of desecration following her disclosure that she entered the sanctum sanctorum and touched the idol in 1987.
