Kerala government on Friday submitted a note in Supreme Court (SC) stating that 51 women between the age groups of 10 and 50 years have entered Sabarimala Temple following SC's landmark verdict on September 28, 2018. Earlier, girls and women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 years were barred from offering prayers at the shrine, the presiding deity of which is "Naishtika Brahamachari" (perennial celebate). But after the apex court judgment that state that women of all ages should be allowed to enter the temple.
The two women - who are under the age of 50 - have been receiving death threats since then for entering the temple and they filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking round-the-clock protection. The apex court heard the petition on Friday and ordered the Kerala government to provide adequate security to the two women.
The SC's verdict objected across the state with devotees claiming that the entry of menstruating women inside the temple is against their tradition. Massive protests came on the street in different parts of the state and several women were stopped from entering the temple. But history was recorded on January 2, when two women - Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini - managed to enter the temple.
Both the women were stopped from climbing the hill by a group of protesters at Neelimala. The protesters had stopped the women as they marked them carrying 'Irumudikettu' (offerings to Lord Ayyappa). Durga and Bindu then sat on a hunger strike, demanding that they are allowed to enter the temple and offer prayers.
Durga was later purportedly assaulted by her mother-in-law for entering the temple. She filed a police complaint, accusing her mother of thrashing her with a stick.
