Kerala on edge as Sabarimala temple opens today

Nilakkal: Police personnel, including fresh recruits of the woman battalion, took up positions in heavy downpour at Nilakkal, 20 km short of Sabarimala, after woman vigilantes evicted a Tamil couple, come for Ayyappa darshan, from a KSTRC bus, on Tuesday night, hours before the temple opens for the monthly pooja on Wednesday.

Tension reigned as vigilantes, both men and women, stopped vehicles and evicted young women they thought were headed for the hill shrine, emboldened by the Supreme Court verdict striking down age-old restrictions on woman worshippers.

But they faced the wrath of self-styled protectors of traditions, who vowed to punish anyone breaking the custom barring women in 10-50 age group from Ayyappa darshan.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the meeting between Travancore Devaswom Board and the pro-tradition group comprising tanstris and Pandalam ex-royals to find a via media solution, fizzled out over whether the board would prefer a review petition before the Supreme Court.

For the LDF government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated the resolve to punish anyone taking law in his/her hands and ruled out filing a review petition since the government is committed to gender equality

At Nilakkal, a woman devotee tried to commit suicide, vexed by the verdict.

Scores of women and men chanting, “Swamiye Ayyappa”, were sitting in protest at Nilakkal, not letting women go to Pampa, the Sabarimala base camp. They argued with police cops who tried to prevent them from harassing passengers. The women said they would continue their protest till the Supreme Court gave a favourable verdict.