Thiruvananthapuram: As the Sabarimala temple doors were set to open to devotees again this evening, Kerala braced for more protests. This morning, activist Trupti Desai arrived at the Kochi airport and faced stiff protests by devotees and BJP members who had gathered there along with several people.
She was accompanied by six others who were unable to get out of the airport. Desai had, earlier in the week, sent an email to the Kerala Chief Minister seeking security during her travel to the hill shrine.
The temple’s Devaswom Board was slated to hold a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. The board is set to take a decision on whether to file an interim petition in the Supreme Court. The petition will seek more time to implement the order to allow women inside the shrine as the situation is crucial while the legal team from the government side will also be present in this Devaswom board meeting.
While the all-party meet chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday failed to arrive at a consensus over the issue, the State government softened its stand during a meeting with the Panadalam royal family and the Thantri family held on Thursday.
The Devaswom Board got a green signal from the Chief Minister’s Office late last night to go ahead with filing a petition in the court, sources said. However, the Board will take a final call on the issue after consulting legal experts.
Meanwhile, Ayyappa pilgrims, who visit the Sabarimala temple, will not be allowed to stay back at the ‘sannidhanam’ at night after darshan, DGP Loknath Behara said.
Police presence in and around the hill shrine would be doubled this year compared to last year, he said. “Nobody will be allowed to stay at the sannidhanam (temple complex) after the temple closes at night,” Behara told reporters after reviewing the security arrangements at Nilackal, the base camp.
Due to the protests witnessed in and around the shrine when it was opened in October and this month for the monthly pujas, it has been decided to impose ‘reasonable’ restrictions, he said. But all the pilgrims will have the opportunity to have
darshan before they return, Behara said.
| Tomorrow’s task |
| Though devotees will be allowed inside the shrine from 5 pm-10 pm on Friday, pujas and ‘Neyabishekams’ (ghee offering) will be held only when the temple opens at 4 am on 17 November, the first day of Malayalam month of Vrischikom, according to a TDB release. |