Sabarimala Temple will open at 5 pm for special puja: Over 2,300 Kerala cops to watch over protesters; prohibitory orders issued

With the Lord Ayyappa shrine opening for a day on Monday, the temple town of Sabarimala has been virtually taken over by some 2,300 Kerala Police personnel after protests marred the last pilgrimage season. The pilgrims will be allowed to go up the pathway only on Monday afternoon, an official said. The temple opens its door at 5 pm and closes on Tuesday at 10 pm.

Orders banning assembly of four or more people have been imposed in Sabarimala and nearby areas, police said Sunday.

Around 2,300 personnel, including a 20-member commando team and 100 women, have been deployed to ensure smooth ‘darshan’ and security of devotees, a move that came in for criticism from the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, the BJP and the Congress for such fortification.

If necessary, around 30 women police personnel in the rank of circle inspector and sub inspector and above the age of 50 would be deployed at ‘Sannidhanam’ (temple complex) for security, they said.

Ayyappa devotees from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already reached Erumeli and they will be permitted to go to ‘sannidhanam’ only on Monday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc, banning assembly of four or more people, is in force at Pamba, Nilackal, Elavungal, and Sannidhanam for 72 hours from midnight Saturday.

This is the second time the hill temple would open for ‘darshan’ after the Supreme Court allowed entry of women of all age groups into it.

The temple had witnessed high drama last month following frenzied protests leading to around a dozen women in the age group of 10-50 being prevented from reaching it and police and the agitators fighting a pitched battle over the LDF government’s decision to implement the court order.

The shrine would open at 5 pm Monday for the “Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal” special puja slated for the next day, marking the birthday of last king of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, and close at 10 pm on that day.

Meanwhile, several Hindu outfits in Kerala agitating against the entry of women of menstrual age into the famous Sabarimala Temple have urged media outlets not to depute women journalists to cover the issue. The ‘appeal’ was issued by Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a joint platform of right-wing outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Hindu Aikyavedi, ahead of the temple’s brief opening, which will be the second time after the Supreme Court allowed entry of girls and women in the age group of 10-50 into it.

The samiti has been spearheading the agitation against the apex court order lifting an age-old ban on entry of women in menstrual age group into the temple, whose deity Lord Ayyappa is a celibate. When the temple opened for monthly puja for five days last month, the first time after the court order, women reporters, on their way to cover the occasion, were heckled, their vehicles attacked and young female devotees forced to turn back as protesters, including activists of Hindu fringe groups, laid a siege to the road leading to Sabarimala.

In its letter to editors, a copy of which was released to the media, the samiti said even the entry of women journalists belonging to this age group as part of their job was also likely to aggravate the situation. “Recognising your right to support or oppose the devotees stand on this issue, we hope you will not take a stand which would aggravate the situation,” it said. The doors of the temple will be opened Monday evening for puja on the occasion of “Chithira Aattavisesham” on Tuesday, the birthday of the last King of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

Objecting to the samithi’s appeal, the Network of Women in Media, India said it was ‘unjustified’ and ‘unacceptable interference’ in the functioning of the media and an ‘unfair obstacle’ in the way of journalists who happen to be women wishing to cover an important story of public interest.

“We believe that the Samithi’s stand amounts to depriving women journalists of their right to respond to the call of professional duty and responsibility. It also goes against the freedom of expression and right to information that are fundamental rights to which all citizens are entitled,” it said.

Pathanamthitta District Collector PB Nooh has declared prohibitory orders in and around the temple town banning the gathering of four or more persons to foil street protests.

The Bharatiay Janata Party (BJP) and numerous Hindu groups are up in arms against the 28 September verdict of the Supreme Court that allowed women of all age groups to enter the temple. The Kerala government has said it will implement the ruling, pitting it against the protesters. All the roads leading from Nilakkal to the base camp of the temple town Pamba are barricaded and have been declared out of bounds till Monday morning by the police.

The police are checking each and every vehicle that passes in and around the temple town. On Sunday, after protests, the police allowed the media to travel till Nilakkal. Kerala BJP spokesperson MT Ramesh warned the police against examining the holy kit (Irrumudi Kettu) that is carried on the head by the pilgrims.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy said that there appeared to be some shady goings on as the media had never before been banned into the temple town. “If the media is kept away, then the authorities want to hide something,” he said.

State congress president Mulapally Ramachandran said: “Parties like CPI, academics, intelligentsia and socio-cultural icons should prevail upon (Chief Minister Pinarayi) Vijayan to see that he handles this very sensitive issue in a more mature way.” The Sabarimala Karma Samithi has written to media groups not to depute lady journalists to cover Monday’s events at the temple that are generally out of bounds for women in the age group 10 to 50.

The Samithi is angry that when the temple opened for the monthly prayers last month, attempts by two women journalists to do their job from the temple top were thwarted by protesters.

The representatives of the Pandalam Royal family, the custodian of the jewellery of the Sabarimala temple, said the temple was passing through “tough times” as the temple town had been taken over by the police.

“We will hold a special prayer and singing of hymns when the temple opens,” said Sreekumar Varma. Pathanamthitta district Superintendent of Police T Narayanan said on Sunday that as of now, there had been no request from women to enter the shrine.

Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and chief priest Unnikrishnan Namboodiri would jointly open the temple doors and light the lamp at the ‘Sreekovil’ (sanctum sanctorum). Devaswom minister, Kadakampally Surendran, said the government would ensure complete protection to believers.

So far no women in the ‘barred’ age group had approached police for protection to offer prayers at the hill shrine, he said. A high level meeting of senior police officers was held to take stock of the situation. During last month’s pujas, media persons were attacked by a section of protesters and police had to face criticism.

Dismissing reports that media was being restrained from going to Sabarimala, Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behara said there was no bar on entry of journalists.

No restriction of any sort has been imposed on media persons, the top cop added. “To ensure necessary protection to the media, we are not allowing them now. As soon as security arrangements are complete, media will be allowed in Sabarimala and nearby places.” The Pandalam royal family, closely associated with the Ayyappa shrine, said it was “pained” at the heavy security in and around Sabarimala.

“Saddened that devotees will have to offer prayers at the shrine amid thick police cover,” it said. Protesting the apex court verdict, a ‘prayer yagna’ will be held, the family said.

Meanwhile, activist Rahul Easwar, president of Ayyappa Dharma Sena that is among the outfits spearheading the protests, in a video message said, “Like police, we are also fully prepared”.

Easwar, belonging to the Thazhamon family of Sabarimala thantris, was arrested twice last month in connection with the protests in and and around Sabarimala against the government’s decision to implement the court verdict and also for making certain remarks. He is out on bail.

Noting that the situation in Sabarimala was “explosive,” Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullapally Ramachandran accused the CPI(M)-led LDF government of ‘failing’ to handle it.

Thousands of police personnel had been deployed in Sabarimala which was akin to “challenging and suppressing” the devotees, he alleged. BJP leader M T Ramesh warned that any attempt by police to hinder devotees from visiting Sabarimala would lead to “serious repercussions.”

Police would not be allowed to inspect the ‘irumudikettu’ (offerings devotees carry for lord ayyappa), he said. BJP and various Hindu outfits are on a warpath against the Left-front government over its decision not to seek a review of the top court verdict. As of Sunday , the police have registered 545 cases and arrested 3,731 persons who protested last month when the temple opened for six days. Only around 100 are still in jail, while the rest have secured bail.

With inputs from agencies