New Delhi: As the Sabarimala temple complex opens Wednesday, a functionary of the Travancore Devaswom Board that manages the hill-shrine hinted that the temple body could ask the Supreme Court for time to implement its verdict allowing women to enter the hill-shrine, said a report.
Quoting unnamed sources Hindustan Times said the temple board is likely to cite poor infrastructure to seek more time to implement the apex court’s order. It is also expected to refer to the recent floods which have caused damage to many facilities at the base camp Pambha and other areas.
Soon after Reshma Nishanth, 32, in a Facebook post revealed that she would climb the 18 steps to the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ayyappa’s temple, mobs surrounded her house shouting slogans against her.
Malayalam actor Thulasidharan Nair, also known as Kollam Thulasi, on Friday said women who dare to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple should be ripped apart, reported ANI.
Some devotees have threatened to stop women at all costs from entering the shrine.
The Supreme Court had last month lifted the ban on women in the 10-50 age group from entering the temple, leading to widespread protests in Kerala. The protests have been building up to a crescendo.
Earlier in the day, thousands of BJP activists, including women and children, marched to the secretariat chanting mantras of Lord Ayyappa and holding the garlanded pictures of the deity protesting the move to allow women to worship at the shrine.
The foot march, which started last week from Pandalam, was in protest against the Left government's decision to implement the top court order “without considering sentiments of believers and Lord Ayyappa devotees".
BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai said if the state government failed to resolve the issue at the earliest, the BJP-NDA's agitation would take a new turn. "We will meet each villager in Kerala and chalk out a massive agitation plan to protect the Sabarimala Temple, its centuries-old traditions and the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees," he said.
In another development, the Travancore Devaswom Board has called a meeting of various stakeholders of the shrine, including the Tantri (head priest) family, Pandalam royals and Ayyappa Seva Sangam, on Tuesday.
The shrine will reopen on Wednesday for monthly rituals. It would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly pooja of Malayalam month of 'Thulam'.
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