Pathanamthitta: After the age of a woman accompanying Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple caused a furore on social media, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has come out with a clarification.
TDB president K Ananthagopan told media persons here Wednesday that the woman whose photograph from Sannidhanam was widely shared had no restrictions to visit the shrine as she was born in 1966 (55 years).
There is a customary ban on entry of women of menustrating age (upto 50 years) to the hill shrine.
Ananthagopan said the woman produced her Aadhaar Card as per which her date of birth was 26/7/1966. She is Madhumati Chukkapalli, wife of industrialist Suresh Chukkapalli, who is a friend of the popular actor.
It is understood that that the family had donated a golden flag-post to the temple in 2017. Ananthagopan also said that the group has agreed to renovate the Sabari Guest House.
Chiranjeevi had tweeted pictures of his visit to the temple last week.
Entry of women of menustrating age to Sabarimala has been widely debated. In 2018, widespread protests and hartals were staged in Kerala after a few women under 50 attempted to enter the shrine based on a court order.
