Sabarimala: After nearly four months of unprecedented agitations over women's entry into the shrine, the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala witnessed a peaceful pilgrim season that ended Sunday.
The hill shrine premises were calm from February 12 when the temple was re-opened for the five-day monthly pujas.
The temple had seen much turbulence every month since September 2018 when the Supreme Court allowed women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala shrine. The BJP and other right-wing outfits had been on a warpath ever since the LDF government decided to implement the SC's landmark verdict.
Police lift curbs
The Kerala Police had lifted the stringent restrictions at the temple. Prohibitory orders were not implemented this time. Only 475 policemen were on duty, against 3,000 during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season from mid-December to January 20.
Entry to appam and aravana counters was also hassle-free.
Most devotees were from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Some women in the 10-50 age group from Andhra sought entry to the temple. However they were dissuaded reportedly by police from entering the temple. Even those who got past Pamba were intercepted by police and sent back. Most of them belonged to families that came to Sabarimala with groups on pilgrimage to state.
Earlier the police had tried to escort several women in the child-bearing age to the temple, leading to widespread protests and they had to abandon the visit. Only two women in their 40s – Kanakadurga and Bindu – had entered the temple on January 2. Their entry to the shrine had sparked widespread protests across Kerala. Though some other women in the child-bearing age claimed that they entered the temple, these were not officially confirmed.
The shrine will open again for monthly pujas and festivities on March 11 and close on 21.
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