Massive protests broke out near the Sabarimala temple in Kerala this morning after two women tried to trek up to the hill shrine.
The women were surrounded by a large number of protesters around 1 km after they crossed the base camp.
The women were taken to safety by the police in a vehicle. They had earlier refused to return without offering prayers, saying they followed the 41-day penance.
The two women are part of a nine-member group who were on their way to the temple. The group was stopped after they crossed the Pamba base camp.
“There is Ayyappan there. Ayyappan has no objection to women entering the temple. Why are these people protesting then?” one of the women, from north Kerala’s Kannur, told reporters.
The temple has been the site of tension since the Supreme Court ruled on September 28 to end the age restriction on women. The court order has not been accepted by the devotees and protesters who believe women should not be allowed near the shrine’s deity, Lord Ayyappa.
