The Kerala Government has made it clear that its stand on the issue of ban on women of menstruating age at the lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will be favourable to the sentiments of the devotees and supportive of the tradition, rituals and customs.
While responding to the query of the Supreme Court on Monday whether it was possible to consider allowing women of menstruating age to enter the hill shrine, State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Devaswom Minister VS Sivakumar said that any decision would depend on the tradition, customs and devotees’ interests.
On Tuesday, Kerala saw objections coming up from different quarters to the observations of the Supreme Court. Hindu organizations and devotees are of the opinion that the restrictions on entry of women cannot be removed on the basis of legal technicalities and that discussions at the right forums are necessary before modifying the existing system.
However, a few voices supporting the Supreme Court’s query on the issue were also heard. Welcoming the apex court’s observations as encouraging and hope-inspiring, senior CPI(M) leader and former Devaswom minister G Sudhakaran said, “I’m not saying change should occur right now. It can wait till a detailed study is carried out by experts.”
“The functioning of the Sabarimala temple is in accordance with tradition and customs. There is no ban on women at Sabarimala. There is a restriction that women of a certain age group cannot offer worship there. Importance should be given to the beliefs of the devotees, customs and tradition,” Minister Chennithala said.
“Modifications to the existing system of rituals and customs could be made only in accordance with the sentiments and interests of the devotees. Such efforts should ensure protection of faith and tradition,” Sivakumar said, adding that the Government would discuss the matter with the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the body administering the Sabarimala temple.
TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that the board would implead in the case initiated by the Indian Young lawyers’ Association which questioned the ban on women of fertile age at Sabarimala. “We will inform the court of the sentiments of the devotees. It is the responsibility of the TDB to protect the rituals and customs at Sabarimala,” Gopalakrishnan said.
Taking up the petition of the NGO which challenged a 1991 Kerala High Court order upholding the ban on women of fertile age at Sabarimala, the apex court had on Monday asked how the ban on women at the hill shrine could be sustained if the Constitution did not provide for restriction on women from entering any place of worship.
According to Kantararu Rajeevaru, belonging to the family of Sabarimala Tantris (traditional chief priests), the restriction on women at the lord Ayyappa shrine is based on the will of the deity. He said the Devaprasnams (astrological examinations) held so far at the temple had shown that allowing entry to women was against the deity’s will.
Another reason given by devotees and Tantric experts for retaining the restriction on women at Sabarimala is that the deity there, lord Ayyappa, is a celibate. “That is why this restriction has to be followed. It has nothing to do with gender discrimination,” said Krishnakumar, belonging to a family of temple priests in Thrissur.