Sabarimala opens gates but women not welcome
PAMBA (SABARIMALA): The doors to Kerala’s Sabarimala temple opened on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court three weeks ago allowed women of all ages to enter the hilltop shrine, but female devotees were halted by a wall of resistance mounted by traditionalists who tuned them away, intimidated journalists and clashed with the police.
On a day marked by protests,scuffles and stone-throwing, troublemakers ignored police warnings and ran riot in Nilakkal and Pamba, two important sites where devotees gather before trekking to the temple in the Western Ghats. Protesters turned away at least two female devotees who tried to enter the shrine, maintaining a centuriesold tradition that women of menstruating age cannot enter the temple because the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate.
Chaos erupted hours before the 800-year-old temple, nestled in the greenery of Pathanamthitta district, opened at 5 pm with the chanting of hymns for a five-day ritual. Several television channels reported that hardliners targeted women journalists and attacked the vehicles of their crews.
Women reporters of two national TV channels were stopped in Pamba by a violent crowd, which was seen banging on their cars.
Television footage showed policemen chasing protesters away through dense forests near Nilakkal.
“Police were forced to intervene when some protesters started attacking media personnel,” said district collector PB Nooh, stressing that the administration will make sure the pilgrimage was not affected. State industry minister EP Jayarajan said those who attacked journalists will be arrested.
Policemen deployed in strategic areas did not seem to be a deterrent to the hundreds of protesters, who damaged at least 10 buses.
Twelve people were arrested and 15 hospitalised with injuries suffered during the clashes, the police said.
PROTESTERS CHASE AWAY WOMEN DEVOTEES, POLICE UNABLE TO CONTAIN MOB