Sabarimala temple protests: India braces for clashes between women’s rights activists and traditionalists

Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala braced for renewed clashes in the controversy over a Hindu temple where a ban on women “of menstruating age” was lifted by order of the Supreme Court.

The Sabarimala temple, one of the holiest sites in Hinduism, opened on Friday evening for its two-month pilgrimage season, when millions trek up to its lofty setting among the Western Ghats mountain range.

This year, for the first time, a group of women’s rights activists have said they want to be a part of the pilgrimage to the temple, whose devotees have historically refused entry to women between the ages of 10 and 50 on the basis that the temple’s presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate.

The Supreme Court ordered authorities to lift the ban in September, saying it discriminates on grounds of gender, but protests by the temple’s followers have until now prevented any women from visiting the site, even when accompanied by police protection.

Broader protests against the Supreme Court decision have taken place across the state, during which some 3,700 people have been arrested. The court has agreed to hear a review of its decision in January, but refused to stay the lifting of the ban until then.

Around 700 women have signed up to take part in the pilgrimage, including a small group of activists who want to make the journey first on Saturday.

On Friday, a prominent women’s rights activist flew to Kerala to lead the renewed efforts to enter the temple.

Trupti Desai was a leader of the “Right to Pray” movement in another state, Maharashtra, where activists successfully won court orders allowing them to enter the inner sanctums of three temples.

But thousands of protesters gathered at Kochi airport to intercept her and another six activists on arrival and, blocking all exits, refused to let them leave on their way to Sabarimala, the Reuters news agency reported.

“Protests are being held outside the airport and the police have said that we can’t go outside now,” Ms Desai said. “We booked taxis three or four times, but drivers said they were threatened their vehicles would be vandalised if they offer us a ride.”

Ms Desai said she still planned to make the journey to the shrine on Saturday, despite police advice. “We won’t return until we have darshan,” Desai said, referring to the opportunity to view the image of a deity. “This kind of bullying and hooliganism are unacceptable.”

MN Gopi, a local member of India’s leading Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, told the ANI news agency: “[We] won’t allow Trupti Desai to go out from the airport using a police vehicle or other government means. Airport taxis also won’t take her. If she wants, she can use her own vehicle. There will be agitations all along her way, even if she goes out from the airport.”

“We will not let activists go inside Sabarimala. We are willing to die protesting, but will not move an inch from here,” a female Hindu protester outside the airport told television channel CNN NEWS18.

Thousands of police officers, many in riot gear, lined the route of the five-hour trek up to the entrance to the shrine on Friday night, local media reported, as queues of pilgrims stretched back from the temple gate.

Kerala’s Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led state government has tried to bring calm to the state and avert expected clashes on Saturday by arranging talks with opposition political parties and the temple administration.

Kerala’s chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, held several meetings on Thursday but the sides failed to resolve the impasse. Mr Vijayan made clear that while his government respected the feelings of worshippers, it had to obey the court.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala shrine, said it had approached the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its order, although a response was unlikely to come in time to prevent tensions rising further on Saturday.