Pamba > Clapping and chanting 'Ayyappa saranam', about 200 frenzied devotees suspected to be sangh parivar activists, surrounded a woman pilgrim on Tuesday to prevent her from entering the Sabarimala shrine, suspecting her to be of menstrual age.
The 52-year-old woman, identified as Lalitha from Thrissrur, had come to the temple with 19 relatives, including women, for her grandson's 'chorunnu' (rice giving ceremony). She was near the 'nadapandal' - the area just before devotees climb the 18 steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum - when her group was blocked by the protesting mob. Police intervened and after ascertaining the woman's age group to be 52, escorted her away.
Journalists were also heckled by RSS goons near the shrine. The doors of Sabarimala had opened for six days on October 17 for the first time since the Supreme Court allowed women of menstruating age group to enter the shrine, but none could make it to its hallowed precincts amid a welter of protests and violent clashes by sangh parivar activists.
.jpg)
Lalitha(second from right) who was atacked by Sangh Parivar at Sabarimala.
Lalitha was later taken to a hospital after she complained of uneasiness. However, after a while she and some of her relatives returned and offered prayers at the temple, which opened this morning for the "Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal" puja to mark the birth anniversary of the last king of the princely state of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.
As they were speaking to mediapersons after the 'darshan', some of the protesters heckled them. "We didn't expect such a situation," Lalitha said. Girls below 10 years of age and women above 50 have frequently prayed at the temple in the past. However, the entry of women of all ages has become a sensitive issue after the Supreme Court verdict.
The Ayyappa temple here opened Monday for the second time in three weeks for a two-day special puja amid unprecedented security over apprehension of protests by those opposing the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups into the shrine. Hundreds of police personnel, including armed commandos, are keeping a tight vigil in the temple complex and nearby areas to prevent any untoward incident.
Following the verdict, attempts by around a dozen women, including activists and journalists in the 10-50 years age group, to script history came to nought as sangh parivar men heckled and hassled them and forced them to retreat. Both the Congress, the main opposition party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is yet to make its mark in the state, have lent support to the agitation against the Supreme Court verdict.
[With inputs from PTI]
