New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) was moved in the Delhi High Court Wednesday seeking a direction to ensure that women of all ages and religions were allowed to enter and pray at temples, mosques and zoroastrian fire temples, as allowed by the apex court in the case of the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala.
The plea filed by a lawyer also seeks that women be ordained as ‘pujari,’ imam or priest of their respective temples, mosques or churches to lead the prayers.
Advocate Sanjiv Kumar, in his petition, has sought that women of menstruating or non-menstruating age from every religion be allowed to enter and pray at all times at all the temples in India.
A similar order has been sought in favour of men, where their entry into women-only temples such as Attukal, Chakkulathukavu, Santoshi Maa ‘Vrat,’ Lord Brahma, Bhagwati Maa Temple and Kamrup Kamakhya is prohibited.
The petition, which according to the lawyer is yet to be listed for hearing, also seeks similar directions with regard to entry into mosques as well. It seeks orders declaring as unconstitutional the prevalent practice of denying Muslim women the right to observe fast and offer prayers during menstruation.
The petition has also urged the court to direct the Centre to put in place norms allowing menstruating Hindu women to enter the kitchen as well as observe fast, offer prayers and go to any place, and that denial of the same shall be deemed as “unconstitutional.”