Not only Sabarimala: Women are not allowed in these temple

Bengaluru, Sep 28: A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will pronounce its judgment on the centuries-old prohibition on women entry to the Kerala temple on Friday. Women said to be of menstrual age are restricted from entering the temple as its presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa.

There are temples in India that restrict entry of women into sanctum sanctorum. The Supreme Court judgment in Sabarimala temple is likely to have impact on these shrines.

Ranakpur Temple, Rajasthan

The Ranakpur Jain Temple is a world-famous temple complex located in Ranakpur, Rajasthan, India. This spectacular temple complex was built in the 15th century AD, and is one of the five major pilgrimage sites of Jainism. Within this complex are a number of temples, some of which are dedicated to individual tirthankaras, the 24 spiritual masters in Jainism who are believed to have attained perfect knowledge through asceticism. The 1444 beautifully-carved and stunningly-decorated white pillars, each one completely unique and unlike any other.

However, there are instructions when and how a woman can visit on a large board outside the temple. Again, menstruating women are asked to not enter the temple. The temple requires women to cover their legs till below their knees and also it has rules about wearing western clothes and accessories.

Lord Kartikeya Temple, Pushkar

Kartikeya Temple in Pehowa township of the North Indian state of Haryana is an ancient structure dating back to the 5th century B.C. Kartikeya is a popular Hindu deity in India. The temple worships the brahmachari form of Lord Kartikeya. This famous temple is situated in the center of Pehowa in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. Pehowa is at a distance of 200 kilometers from Delhi and 60 kilometers from Karnal (Haryana).

There is a myth that the Lord curses women who enter the temple instead of blessing them. As a result, women are banned from entering the temple.

Patbausi Satra, Assam

Patbaushi Satra is located at a distance of around 2 km north of the Barpeta town in Assam. The shrine was the abode of various Vaishnava gurus like Shri Manta Sankardeva, Shri Madhavdeva and Shri Damodardeva, who promoted Vaishnava faith from the region. Like others, this temple also cites menstruation as the reason behind barring entry to women. In 2010, Assam Governor JB Patnaik spoke with the authorities of the Patbausi satra and took a group of 20 women in. However, the satra eventually re-imposed the ban.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram

Considered the richest temple in the world, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple houses treasure vaults. When it comes to worship, the temple has a weird rule. Women devotees can worship the deity but shouldn't go inside the temple chambers. Women inventory officials too aren't allowed into the treasure vaults and a few years back, the temple authorities even restricted entry to a woman expert from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).