Sabarimala darshan: 10 women sent back from base camp; Security tightened in Pamba

Kerala police deployed at the base camp in Pamba did not allow the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple. The Supreme Court had referred the issue of entry of women into Sabarimala temple and other religious places to a larger seven-judge bench.

Sabarimala:The Kerala police on Saturday did not allow ten women, who were part of a group, to go to the Sabarimala temple to pray after checking the identity cards of the women. The temple tradition disallows women in the age group of 10 to 50 years to enter the temple precinct.

The two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrim season opens on Sunday at 5 am. However, it opens today at 5 pm for religious rituals to be performed by the temple priest and 'tantris.'

The ten women who were barred today came from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. They were part of a group of pilgrims who were stopped for checking by the police at Pamba base camp. Sources said the ten women were separated from the group as the police suspected them to be in the age group of 10-50 years.

Sources said the women were briefed about the temple tradition, and that they agreed to stay back. The rest of the pilgrims were allowed to proceed further.

The famed Sabarimala temple that resembled a fortress a year ago wore a peaceful look on Saturday. No prohibitory orders, which were clamped last year, have been in place in and around the temple town this time.

Though the Supreme Court on Thursday gave a 3:2 verdict referring the Sabarimala review pleas to a larger bench, it maintained that it has not stayed the September 28, 2018 order allowing women to enter the temple.

This time, the Kerala government has made its position clear that it would not make any effort to take women to the temple to pray.

Last year, the police provided security to women who faced stiff resistance from activists of some right-wing forces and chased them away.

Read: SC refers Sabarimala issue to larger 7-judge bench