Protesters, police clash over females’ entry to India temple
NEW DELHI — A temple in southern India and one of the world’s largest Hindu pilgrimage centers opened its doors to females of menstruating age Wednesday to comply with a Supreme Court ruling, but women weren’t able to enter as hundreds of protesters fought street battles with police to keep them out.
As the gates of the Sabarimala temple were opened, a crowd of male devotees surged toward the temple. About 1,000 police used batons to try to control the protesters, who attacked them with stones and damaged police and TV vehicles and bullied female devotees to leave.
The protesters ran after the media vehicles, pounding them with hands and kicking to stop them from reaching the temple site.
Police arrested 11 protesters when they tried to block the path of some females.
The temple will remain open for five-day monthly prayers until Monday.
The entry of females between the ages of 10 and 50 to the centuries-old temple was banned informally for many years, and then by law in 1972.
India’s Supreme Court lifted the ban last month, holding that equality is supreme irrespective of age and gender.
Temple management and the protesters argue that the celibate nature of the temple’s presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is protected by India’s Constitution. Some religious figures consider menstruating women to be impure.
Meghna Pant, a female activist, said the celibacy of the deity was not more important than the equality of women. “Who are men to decide where women can go or not?” she said.