Sabarimala U-Turn: Devaswom Commissioner Decides To ‘Allow’ All Women, Chief Priest Protests

The whole Sabarimala drama has now taken a U-Turn, and while the Devaswom board’s commissioner stands by the SC verdict allowing all women entry into the temple, the chief priest has challenged it.

The whole Sabarimala brouhaha over the past few months has taken many twists and turns, with first the SC passing a verdict on 28th September 2018, allowing women of all ages to enter, putting an end to a centuries-old tradition. This was followed by protests by the ‘faithful’, and review petitions were filed challenging the verdict, which were rejected. The Kerala government expressed its agreement with the apex court’s verdict.

The following furore by some factions, with even some women supporting the ban, and some women supporting the Supreme Court verdict, with women coming out in support of it in a drive by the Kerala state government. Then two women managed to enter the temple, which was followed up by a ‘purification’ of the temple by the priests.

According to the news, The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the historic Sabarimala temple in Kerala, expressed its stand to accept the September 28 decision of the Supreme Court stating that equality is the dominant theme of the Constitution and there should be no discrimination to anyone in offering prayers. Earlier, the Board had said it would file a report in the top court on the tense situation in Sabarimala. However, on Wednesday, Kerala’s Sabarimla temple administration took a decision not to file a status quo report in the Supreme Court on the current situation in Sabarimala. 

The Board cited that Article 25(1) equally entitles all persons to practice religion and that women cannot be excluded from any walk of life on biological attributes.

It’s a curious development, and one wonders what could have caused this. Certainly not a change of heart? Watch this.

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There are thousands of women waiting for a darshan at the temple. Of the two women under 50 years who entered the shrine and offered homage to the deity, one of them was allegedly attacked by her own in-laws for having broken the age-old sacred tradition.

While the apex court has pronounced its judgement allowing women to enter the shrine, and there’s this change in the Devaswom board’s stance, there are insiders among the priests, who have demanded an explanation. Whether the spirit of the law gets translated into practice, remains to be seen.

Image source: YouTube

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