Sabarimala: 51 women between 10-50 age group enters Ayyapa temple

New Delhi : The apex court of India, the Supreme Court on 18 January 2019 ordered the Kerala police to provide security to two women who recently entered Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala, despite of protest by Hindu groups.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices L N Rao and Dinesh Maheshwari directed the Kerala Government to give security to Kanak Durga and Bindu, the first two women who dared to enter the Sabarimala Ayyapa temple. 

Conversely, the bench rejected her plea to tag petitions seeking review of the Constitution Bench verdict lifting age restrictions regarding entry of women into Sabarimala Temple. 

The Kerala Government counsel told the Bench that 50 women had entered the Sabarimala Temple since the top court's historic verdict allowing entry of women irrespective of their age.

The petitionera had requested round-the-clock security to both the women due to threat to their life. The plea sought directions to all authorities to allow women of all age groups to enter the temple without any obstacles. 

The petitioners have also sought a direction to the authorities to ensure that no purification rituals are conducted after entry of women. Such rituals were conducted by the temple priests after women in the age group of 10 to 50 years entered Sabarimala under police protection. However, the bench refused to consider the request.