Sabarimala braces for pilgrims, protests after Hindu group leader's arrest

The temple had opened Friday evening for the two-month-long annual pilgrim season as a stand-off continued over the entry of menstrual age women into the shrine.

Business Standard : Thousands of pilgrims offered prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala early Saturday, the first day of Malayalam month of 'Vrischikom,' even as a 12-hour strike against the preventive detention of a Hindu Aikya Vedi leader began. 

Pilgrims, including children, queued up in large numbers since the temple opened at 3 am.

The temple had opened Friday evening for the two-month-long annual pilgrim season as a stand-off continued over the entry of menstrual age women into the shrine. All regular pujas began this morning under the supervision of the new Melshanti (chief priest) Vasudevan Nampoothiri.

Amid unprecedented security, Kerala State Transport Corporation buses were bringing pilgrims from Nilackal to Pamba and no services had been stopped, KSRTC sources said. Shops and hotels near the temple complex were open.

However, normal life was hit elsewhere in the state as the strike progressed; buses and auto-rickshaws remained off roads in several areas.

KSRTC Managing Director Tomin J Thachankary said the corporation was running buses in Sabarimala with police protection to help pilgrims reach the temple.

In Balrampuram near Thiruvananthapuram, protesters attacked a KSRTC bus and damaging its windows, he told PTI.

In the state capital, passengers had a tough time in getting vehicles to reach their respective destinations due to the hartal. Many patients and their relatives were unable to reach the regional cancer centre and Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital.

The Aikya Vedi state president, K P Sasikala, who was on a pilgrimage to the Ayyappa shrine, was taken into "preventive custody" near Marakkootam, close to Sabarimala, at 2.30 am after she allegedly defied the orders, police said.

Police had decided not to allow devotees enter the temple premises when it was closed for the night.

Sasikala was stopped by them late Friday night when she was on her way to the shrine with the traditional "Irrumudikettu" (offerings to Lord Ayyappa carried by devotees on their head) as the temple would have been closed by the time she would have reached there.

She was later taken to Ranni police station.

Sudheer, leader of another outfit, was also taken into preventive custody.

Aikya Vedi protesters, meanwhile, gathered outside the Ranni police station and Erumeli and began "Nama Japa" protests Saturday morning.

Condemning the police action, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the state government's effort is to "destroy" the Sabarimala pilgrimage... Read More

Sabarimala row: Protest erupts over woman's entry, journalists heckled

Police intervened and after ascertaining the woman's age, informed the protesting devotees that she was not in the 'barred' age group and escorted her away.

There was high drama at the Sabarimala temple complex Tuesday morning with devotees protesting against the entry of a woman pilgrim, suspecting her to be in the menstrual age.

Lalitha (52) from Tirur had come to the temple with 19 relatives, including women, for her grandson's 'chorunnu' (rice giving ceremony).

She was near the 'nadapandal' (area just before devotees climb the 18 steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum) when her group was suddenly surrounded by about 200 frenzied protesters clapping and chanting 'Ayyappa saranam' mantra, suspecting that she was below 50 years.

Police immediately intervened and after ascertaining the woman's age, informed the protesting devotees that she was not in the 'barred' age group and escorted her away.

Local media channels said journalists were also heckled in the protests, however, police denied that any such incident occurred.

Lalitha was later taken to a hospital after she complained of uneasiness.

However, after a while she and some of her relatives returned and offered prayers at the temple, which opened this morning for the "Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal" puja to mark the birth anniversary of the last king of the princely state of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

As they were speaking to mediapersons after the 'darshan', some of the protesters heckled them.

"We didn't expect such a situation," Lalitha and some of her women relatives said.

On Monday, a 30-year-old woman, who had reached the base camp at Pamba along with her husband and two children, went back early this morning without offering prayers.

She had told police that it was her husband who was keen that she should worship at the Ayyappa temple.

The Ayyappa temple here opened Monday for the second time in three weeks for a two-day special puja amid unprecedented security over apprehension of protests by those opposing the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups into the shrine.

Hundreds of police personnel, including armed commandos, are keeping a tight vigil in the temple complex and nearby areas to prevent any untoward incident.

The doors of Sabarimala had opened for six days on October 17 for the first time since the Supreme Court allowed women of menstruating age group to enter the shrine, but none could make it to its hallowed precincts amid a welter of protests and violent clashes.

Business Standard