Women try to enter Sabarimala; Tension grips hill shrine

Friday,19 October 2018 06:29 AM IST

On day three of the Sabarimala temple opening, devotees continue to throng the hill for completing their pilgrimage to the Ayyappa temple. However, tension remains as women attempt to enter the temple, reports Hindustan Times.

After two women unsuccessfully attempted to trek up to the hill-shrine, a third woman began the long walk on Friday morning under a police guard of 150 personnel.

Devotees have been aggressively protesting a Supreme Court order that allows women of menstrual age to enter the temple, a ban that was followed for decades as a religious practice. With the Kerela government saying it will follow the court order and ensure women are allowed in the temple, protests have swept across the state leading to a state-wide shutdown, Hindustan Times reported.