Sabarimala: Two women stopped by protesters from trekking towards Shrine, forced to return

Pamba, Oct 21: Protests Sabarimala and its two base camps were tense for the fifth consecutive day i.e Sunday against the entry of women, aged between 10 to 50 years, into the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

As per ANI reports, two women belonging to Andhra Pradesh were stopped while trekking towards the sanctum sanctorum and have been brought to police control room in Pamba after they were stopped by protesters from going ahead.

Speaking about the incident, Kerala IG said,''They were part of a pilgrimage group from Andhra. They had been to other temples also&didn't know of special rituals in #SabarimalaTemple. When somebody told them they are not supposed to go, they did not want to go & gave a statement. They want to go back to Nilakkal.''

Earlier on Saturday, a Tamil Nadu woman climbed the hills to offer prayers to the presiding deity. Initially, she was stopped by the protesters, but was allowed to enter the Sabarimala Temple after presenting proof of her age. The 52-year-old woman carrying 'irumudikkettu' (holy bundle) climbed the 18 holy steps amid security cover to reach the temple and have 'darshan'.

A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by then chief justice Dipak Misra, on September 28 had lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.

The portals of Sabarimala Temple will close on October 22 after the five-day monthly puja during the Malayalam month of Thulam.