VICTORY FOR WOMEN, SABARI DOORS OPENED

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court Friday lifted a ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 from entering the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala, holding this centuriesold Hindu religious practice is illegal and unconstitutional.

A Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Rohinton Nariman, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, by a majority of 4:1, held that denial of entry to women only on the ground that they were menstruating violated Article 14 of the Constitution — the right to equality.

Interestingly, the only woman in the bench, Justice Indu Malhotra, was the sole dissenter to the majority verdict. Justice Malhotra was of the view that it is not for courts to determine which religious practices are to be struck down except in issues of social evil like 'Sati'.

Chief Justice Misra said, There couldn’t be any discrimination in approach to divinity and spirituality. “Man can’t dominate views of worship and biological factors can’t be a legitimate ground to deny women the right to worship,” adding that a patriarchal mindset had resulted in this prejudice against women. “Women no way are inferior to men. On one hand, women are worshipped as Goddesses, but there are restrictions on the other hand. Relationship with God can’t be defined by biological or physiological factors,” he said. “Its (ban’s) effect is to impose the burden of a man’s celibacy on a woman and construct her as a cause for deviation from celibacy,” says the landmark judgement. The shrine’s head priest Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru said though the verdict was “disappointing”, the management accepted it. “I respect the court verdict. It is very difficult to arrange special facilities for women in the present context. The board has to make arrangements,” he said.

PLACES THAT BAN ENTRY OF WOMEN

Patbausi Satra, Assam: Women are banned from entering this temple to preserve its 'purity'. This temple also cites menstruation as the reason.

Lord Kartikeya Temple, Pushkar: There is a myth that the Lord curses women who enter the temple instead of blessing them.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala: Although women devotees can worship the deity, they are not allowed to venture inside the temple chambers.

Bhavani Deeksha Mandapam, Vijayawada: Despite the AP government in 1990 appointing a woman as the vamsa paramparya archaka or hereditary priest, she is not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple.

Ranakpur temple, Rajasthan: Menstruating women cannot enter the temple. It also has rules about wearing western clothes and accessories.