By Yashi Jain
The Sabarimala Temple in Kerala which is the second largest pilgrimage spot for devotees, after Mecca in Saudi Arabia has banned women, that is, half the population of the world from entering the temple, in fear of the place turning into a sex tourism spot.
The Supreme Court on Friday referred to its five-judge constitution bench, the petition challenging the practice of not allowing women between the age group of 10-50 years to enter the holy shrine in Kerala. The bench will now decide whether the ban is discriminating against women and is a violation of their right to equality and religious freedom.
History of the temple
The temple has a great historical value and a huge number of visitors every year. An estimated 3.5 crore pilgrims visited the shrine in 2016, during the festive season of November to January. The temple is storming with devotees at this time, so much so that there have been two major stampedes and minor stampede in the past years killing around 200 people.
The holy place is nestled in the Pathanamthitta district of the Western Ghats and the journey to the temple is not easy. The believers have to travel half the journey on foot as vehicles only go up to a certain spot. They also have to cross 18 sacred steps, after observing abstinence vows for 48 days. It is believed that when Parasurama Maharshi uplifted Kerala from the sea he threw his axe in the process and installed the idol of Ayyappa at the temple. The same god is believed to have meditated for quite a long time at the temple.
The controversy arising from it
The temple, whose website mentions that it is open to people of all religion and age groups, has been in the news for not doing exactly that and on top of that, passing misogynist comments.
Women aged between 10 and 50 years, who are generally the ones in their menstrual years, are banned from entering the temple, while women can worship Lord Ayappa in other temples, just not this one. The reason behind this, as pointed out by the chief of the Travancore Devasom Board, the board that handles the temple, is that this has been an age-old tradition.
In 1991, the Kerala High Court gave a verdict that this claim was valid and not against the Constitution. In the judgment, it was mentioned that this restriction must be followed for the well-being of the temple. When in 2006, an astrologer found that traces of a woman having entered the temple had been found, Kannada actor, Jayamala, claimed to have had entered the temple and even touched the idol for the shooting of her movie. This lead to a criminal probe, which is still pending in Kerala High Court.
Distasteful comments
Twenty-five years later, the matter has again been taken up by the Supreme Court questioning the logic behind this ban. The Indian Young Lawyers Association and five women lawyers approached the Supreme Court seeking help in order to achieve entry of all age groups in the temple.
In response to this petition, the chief of the board replied saying that allowing women would lead to immoral activities, breaking of an age-old tradition and it not being safe for women. He also added that it is not possible for women to handle the hardships of worshipping God at this temple. He concluded by saying that he did not want to convert the temple into Thailand.
The state government, who is in support of the ban being removed, disagreed with the comments of the chief and said the comments have insulted pilgrims as well as women.
The imminent verdict of the Supreme Court
Keeping all the factors in mind, the Supreme Court is not bestowed with the responsibility of deciding whether the ban is logical and fair. Whether the practice of excluding women actually constitute an age-old practice or whether a religious institute can assert a claim in that regard are questions that the constitution bench has to answer. The state government, as well as all women, are rooting for the court to give a verdict applicable and fair for all.
Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons