Ten women of menstruating age so far offered prayers at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple after the Supreme Court verdict which set aside a 1991 Kerala HC order banning women entry, reports leading malayalam Mathrubhumi newspaper.
Quoting Kerala police officials, the report says that the government is not releasing details to the public but will submit it to the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing of petitions filed against the September 28, 2018, Constitutional Bench verdict.
The women, aged between 40 and 50 were mostly from abroad who were part of larger groups that had arrived for pilgrimage.
Three women from a Malaysian group climbed the hill to visit the shrine three days back, the police told Mathrubhumi.
All the visits were kept secret, unlike Bindu and Kanakadurga’s trek which was later informed through social media.
The visit of a Sri Lankan woman was later confirmed by the police after some initial confusion. However, it is reported the confusion was created by the police themselves to avoid a ruckus while taking her back to the base camp at Pampa.
Hindutva fringe elements and activists, however, countered the claim of the police and CM Pinarayi Vijan over the visit of Sasikala.
The head priest, who initiated ‘purification’ after the first visit refused to react on the issue.
Mocking the priest, Vijayan at a public event at Attingal of Thiruvananthapuram district had asked if the Tantri is not performing the ritual again. Also it is important to note head of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and BJP MP Udit Raj on Wednesday welcomed the entry of two women into the Sabarimala shrine, contrary to his party’s stand.
