Clutching her two children, a 45-year-old resident of Andhra Pradesh’s Kuppam reached Kerala’s Pamba Wednesday morning. Little did the woman, identified as Madhavi, know that a nightmarish experience awaited her at the base of the Sabariamala temple, where protesters had gathered to stop women of menstruating ages from entering the shrine in keeping with a centuries-old tradition.
She was heckled in Pamba, from where begins a 5km trek to the temple. She found herself surrounded by a group of angry men, who were protesting against a Supreme Court order that allowed the entry of women of all ages into the shrine in Pathnamthitta district.
Madhavi had to retreat, but she needed help from the police. “We don’t want her to be lynched,” said a policeman.
Another woman, Libi, who is from Kerala’s Alappuzha, said, “I tried to take a bus from Pathnamthitta in the morning. But I was forced to get out and later police escorted me to safety.”
Tension hung in the air and around the temple situated at the dense Periyar Tiger reserve in the Western Ghats. The shrine opened for a monthly ritual at 5pm Wednesday with chanting of hymns and fragrance of incense sticks after day-long protests by those opposing the entry of women aged between 10-50 years.
“I have been visiting the temple for 20 years, and I never witnessed such a situation. The peaceful temple town is looking like a fort. Though I am deeply hurt over diluting the temple customs, I will pray to my favourite deity, Lord Ayyappa, to avoid such a situation in future,” said a pilgrim from Karnataka’s Hubbali. He said his car was intercepted at least 10 times by angry protesters to ensure no woman was travelling with him.
{{/usCountry}}“I have been visiting the temple for 20 years, and I never witnessed such a situation. The peaceful temple town is looking like a fort. Though I am deeply hurt over diluting the temple customs, I will pray to my favourite deity, Lord Ayyappa, to avoid such a situation in future,” said a pilgrim from Karnataka’s Hubbali. He said his car was intercepted at least 10 times by angry protesters to ensure no woman was travelling with him.
{{/usCountry}}Vadi Velu, another devotee from Tamil Nadu’s Trichi, said, “It seems the case was not handled properly. I hope the court won’t dictate tomorrow how we all should pray. Sorry to see such a condition in one of the most vibrant temples of the country.”
As the gates opened, hundreds of bare-chested devotees of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity who is considered celibate, marched towards the shrine. Though older women and very young girls were seen in the crowd, none belonged to the menstruating ages.