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At Sabarimala, some devotees keep eye out for ‘barred’ women, many others pray standoff ends
Sabarimala, once a serene temple situated on a hilltop in the midst of thick forests of Periyar Tiger Reserve, now simmers with anger and protests.
Braving heavy rains and chilly winds, Bhanumati Amma (62) is camping near the 18 holy steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala temple for last five days. She calls herself a ‘servant’ of the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, and says she is ready to die for her lord.
Busily scanning the milling pilgrims day in and out, she looks out for women of “productive age”, who were banned from the temple till the Supreme Court’s September 28 order and still haven’t been able to enter, and lies down on the road the moment devotees suspect some woman.
It was Bhanumati who spotted a 46-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur about to climb the holy steps and alerted other devotees to prevent her. “If a woman will have to enter the temple, she has go over my body,” she says, adding that she is neither an activist nor a party member but only a devotee who visited the temple eight times.
Many such devotees roam round the 18 steps, which devotees carrying the ‘irumudi kettu’ (black bundle carrying offerings to the deity including coconut, raw rice, camphor and incense sticks) are only allowed to scale.
At least 12 women, including New York Times correspondent Suhasini Raj, were prevented from entering the shrine since it opened on last Wednesday for monthly pooja. While some were stopped at the base camps or from the trekking path, some had reached the temple when they were turned back.
Sabarimala, once a serene temple situated on a hilltop in the midst of thick forests of Periyar Tiger Reserve, now simmers with anger and protests. A majority of devotees say they never imagined such a situation and the recent developments hurt them badly. After the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to worship at the temple, the state has been witnessing a series of protests and the shrine turned into a fortress when it opened its doors on October 18 - the first time after the verdict.
Nagarjuna Reddy, a doctor from Andhra’s Vijayawada, could not control his tears when he talked about the tension. “It is one of the most sacred pilgrimages in the country. Why are politicians and courts are in a race to hurt devotees’ sentiments. I don’t want another Ayodhya here, leave us alone to pray,” he said.
Like him, a majority of devotees said it was not proper to blend law, faith and politics. They blame the judiciary for putting law before faith and want political parties to desist from taking emotional issues to the streets and whipping up passions. “I came here for spiritual solace and salvation. But this time I failed to get this. What to do temple and surrounding areas look like a fort amid a bitter standoff,” another pilgrim complained.
For the past five days, police officers had a tough time striking a delicate balance between their legal obligation to provide security to women intent on visiting the temple and avoid a confrontation with agitating devotees. Inspector general of police S Sreejith, who led two women unsuccessfully near the holy steps, was seen wiping tears while offering prayers at the temple early Monday. “I am a devotee but also duty-bound,” he said.
When he brought two women 50 metres away from the holy steps on Friday, the tantri (supreme priest) told him bluntly he will leave the temple after closing its doors. He said he could not be a party to flouting the temple customs, forcing Sreejith and the police to retreat.
Some protestors were seen advising pilgrims not to put offerings in ‘hundi’ (offering box) and buy the tinned prasad called ‘aranva payasam’ (a sweet offering made of rice, jaggery, ghee and cardamom). The sale of payasam forms 60% revenue of the temple and the last year, it earned ₹203 crore during the three-month (November to January) season.
A senior official of the Travancore Devasom Board, which runs the temple, however said the offering boxes this time were full of white paper bearing the slogans ‘Swami Saranam’ and ‘Save Sabariamala’ instead of money. He said there is a 40 per cent dip in first four days and if the campaign goes ahead, the coffers of one of the richest temples in the country will be thinned. Protestors however allege that the temple is a “goldmine and often the government diverts its money for day to day activities”.
