Page 9 - 30NOV2019EA

FAITH

Does the Lord want

women in Sabarimala?

housands of devotees Few in the South claim that the presiding deity in the Sabarimala
swarmed Sabarimala tem-
ple, located in Pathan- Temple does not want females in his vicinity and devotees are
amthitta district, Kerala, keeping the wish of the deity alive, reports pari saikia
T when it opened its gates for
the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku South India are the one creating a con- age and dismay the devotees who have
festival on November 17. The festi- troversy since they don’t understand a reason to visit this place,” Madhusud-
val will go on for two months. Heavy the customs and history surround- hanan says.
security has been deployed outside the ing Sabarimala or southern region”, On the protest led by some women
temple in the backdrop of the ongoing one devotee says, “Otherwise, women on their ban inside the temple he says,
controversy on whether the temple devotees too do not want the age-old “There are some people who want
should break its ancient rituals to allow tradition to be revoked at any cost.” to be branded as rebels, they want to
women inside its premises. KV Madhusudhanan, former IGP question everything in the society. We
Nevertheless, women devotees were from Kerala, a devotee of Lord Ayyap- should let them do, as the democracy
not sighted among the thousands who pa, maintains that there are suitable allows it. There are innumerable tem-
gathered for the congregation at the places where we can promote women ples of Lord Ayyappa across the coun-
Lord Ayyappa temple amid vehement empowerment and gender equality. He try, so protesting only here doesn’t
protests by women activists. said that all women in the society have really matter.”
Unaware of the tradition that bars been wholeheartedly supporting the He says altering the tradition will
the entry of women inside Sabarimala, tradition and welcoming it, and that it take away the essence of the place, and
10 women tried to visit the temple on was unnecessary for outsiders to come it will exude the same aura for the dev-
November 16 but were sent back from and create a controversy. otees. It will then be like just any other
Pamba after police warned them of the “I want to ask all those people pro- place, he adds.
temple’s age-old rituals. testing if allowing women in the temple Another Lord Ayyappa devotee from
Tehelka spoke to multiple eminent will help end the problems of gender Kerala, Shivshankar, who is a financial
devotees (mostly men) of Lord Ayyappa disparity in our society? This place is manger, says he strongly opposes the
to find out why people are opposing unique and attracts millions of peo- Supreme Court verdict of September
to the entry of women in Sabarimala ple because of these special traditions, 2018 as the decision was purely based
and on what grounds. Of course, the tampering with the rules will discour- on gender equality, giving zero impor-
devotees defended the rituals of the tance to faith and religious belief, which
temple baring women of certain age- has been the tradition for centuries and
group inside its premises. In fact, when The Supreme Court should have been respected.
interviewed, both men and women asks the Kerala “The situation became more worse
from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra when the women who tried to enter
Pradesh claimed that it is the wish of government to come were not even Lord Ayyappa devotees,
the presiding deity in the Sabarimala and they were supported by the Left
Temple to not have women in his vi- out with an exclusive government. But this is not surprising,
cinity because Lord Ayyappa left the legislation regarding because it is this government which
worldly desires to observe celibacy for had filed a PIL (in 2008) supporting the
life. And the devotees are just keeping the administration of entry of women without understand-
the wish of the deity alive. the Sabarimala temple. ing the faith of the Kerala Hindus. It’s
There seems to be unanimous opin- good now they have realised this and
ion amongst the devotees who state The state has been reverted their stand. In the parliament
that the controversy has been blown told to place before it election, they faced a huge defeat. So
out of proportion, and that the tradition clearly, fundamental rights, faith and
had nothing to do with disempowering the legislation by third politics should not be mixed, Shivs-
women. week of January 2020 hankar says.
“People who do not belong from “The Kerala women who are not the
9