No woman ban in Agasthyakoodam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the Supreme Court wondered why women were not allowed in Sabarimala, questions have been raised about preventing women from taking part in the 26-km steep trek up dense forests and slippery boulders to Agasthyakoodam, one of the highest peaks in the state. Forest minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that there was no ban on women entering Agasthyamala except for 51 days when kani tribals conduct special pujas at the peak. "We cannot allow tribal customs to be trifled with," the minister said.

Unlike in the case of Sabarimala, the ban on women in Agasthyamala is seasonal, applicable only for a 51-day trekking period from January 15 (Makarasankranthi) to March 7 (Shivarathri). And the longstanding ban, like in the case of Sabarimala, has been imposed both in the name of tradition and women safety.

During this period Kani tribals conduct pujas at Agasthyakoodam for their presiding deity Agasthya Muni, whom they call 'moottu kani' or 'king of kanis' and who like Lord Ayyappa is a celibate. "We don't let even our women near our king. It is a belief handed down from an unknown past. It might seem illogical today but considering that even the most educated have not fully understood the mysterious ways of the world we live in, allow us to hold on to our harmless belief," said Rajendran Kani, a senior member of the community.

There were attempts by outsiders to construct a shrine at the peak, and gradually transform it into a Sabarimala. After a protracted legal battle, Kani tribals wrested their right back. "The Forest Department had supported the kanis. If the plan of outsiders had succeeded, there would have been devastating consequences for this biosphere," said Thiruvananthapuram wildlife warden Sunil Sahadevan. Post the trekking season, the department grants permits to researchers, including women, to roam the Agasthya hills in search of samples.

When herpetologist Dr Bhupathy Subramaniam slipped to death near the peak on April 14, 2014, there were two women researchers with him. "Women are barred entry during the trekking season not because the Department considers them to be physically inferior. It is just that we do not have adequate facilities for women at the base camp in Athirimala," the wildlife warden said.

Each day only 100 men are granted entry. Those going up and coming down converge at Athirimala base camp. There are only five camp sheds at the base, too congested for 200 trekkers. Bathroom facilities, too, are limited. "We cannot assure the physical safety of women either," Sunil Sahadevan said. Researchers are allowed in the post-trekking season as they have their own safety systems.