After the trustees of the Shani Shingnapur temple, it was the turn of the management of the famous Mahalaxmi temple at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra to let
women enter the “garbha-griha” (sanctum sanctorum) to offer prayers to the presiding deity.
In what is being seen as a yet another victory for women activists crusading against gender bias in temples in Maharashtra, the temple management - at a joint meeting of the Ambabai Baktha Samiti, Pakshim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti and the district police officials held on Monday - decided to allow the entry of women inside the core worship area of the 14-century-old temple.
The Mahalaxmi temple management - using security personnel and pilgrims -- had last week prevented women activists entering “garbha-griha”.
However, under mounting pressure, the Mahalaxmi temple management on Monday decided to follow the suit of the trustees of the Shani Shingnapur temple at Ahmednagar temple,
who had on April 8 allowed its womenactivists belonging to the Bhumata Rangranai Brigade (BRB) to climb up to “chauthara”, a platform housing the open “sanctum sanctorum”, to offer prayers to lord Shani.
The Mahalaxmi temple’s decision to women inside its core worship area is in line with a directive issued on April 1 by Bombay High Court to the state government to enforce the Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship (Entry Authorisation)
Act 1956. The officials assured the temple
management that they would take measures to
ensure against any untoward incident.
In its direction given to the state government on April 1, a HC division bench of Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice M S Sonak had said: “The acting Advocate General has assured the court that the government is against gender discrimination. Keeping in view Article 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution of India, the Government can take pro-active steps
to ensure that the fundamental rights of a citizen are fully realised and not allowed to be encroached upon by
any authority”.