Women democracy Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala temple

Wanaparthy: A group of women supported by the Hindu Vahini in Pebbair mandal of Wanaparthy district took out a rally demanding the Supreme Court to take back its recent verdict granting access to women into Sabarimala temple in Kerala. 

Annually, lakhs of Ayyappa devotees visit Shabarimala Temple in Kerala to offer the ‘Irumudi’ to God Ayyappa, after observing more than one month of Deeksha and stringent religious norms. However, for performing Deeksha, only men are allowed while women in the menstrual age are considered as impure and not permitted to enter into Sabarimala temple citing traditional Hindu norms.

Recently the Supreme Court delivered a verdict opposing the traditional norms of Saabarimala temple as illegal and against the Constitution as it is violating right to equality. 

Opposing the Supreme Court verdict, women groups in Pebbair mandal took out a huge rally with a slogan ‘Memu Mahilalam Hindu Dharmanni Kaapade Saradhulam’ (we are women, we will protect our Hindu religion and its traditions) and demanded that the Supreme Court should take back its verdict and save the 1,400 year old Hindu tradition.

“Ayyappa Swamy is a Brahmachari and according to Hindu tradition, it is a sin for a woman in menstrual age to visit Shabarimala temple as it will spoil the sanctity of the Lord and his abode in Sabari,” said the woman groups, while taking part in a rally in Pebbair.

The woman folks further said that as they cannot do deeksha for 41 days and cannot travel on a long journey crossing 5 mountains, they are sending their fathers, husbands and brothers for the Saabari pilgrimage every year to get the Ayyappa Swamy’s blessings.

“We feel it is incorrect on the part of Supreme Court to intervene into religious matters, as its recent verdict has hit the religious sentiments of the Hindus. So we are pressing for the court to take back its verdict and protect the sanctity of Sabarimala temple,” said the agitating women. 

While speaking on the occasion Muttu Guruswamy, president of Wanaparthy All India Ayyappa Deeksha Prachara Samithi said, “It is not that women folks are not allowed in the temple.

We have set a certain age limit for the woman. All female Ayyappa devotees below 10 years and above 50 years are allowed to enter Ayyappa temple. It is only those women in the age group of menstrual age are traditionally not allowed in the temple as it is against the Hindu tradition.”

More than 500 women folks took part in the rally and said that Pandara Raja kings, who build the Saabarimala temple 1,400 ago themselves restrained their women from entering into the temple and protected the sanctity. So it is time that we as women oppose the recent Supreme Court verdict and it is our responsibility to protect the Hindu tradition.