In a first after Supreme Court verdict, 2 women enter Sabarimala temple; TDB board denies

Two women devotees in their 40s created history on Wednesday after they entered Sabarimala temple in Kerala and offered prayers to the Lord Ayyappa.

The women identified as --Bindu and Kanakdurga -- started trekking for the shrine at midnight and reached the temple early in the morning. They offered prayers at 3:45 am.

According to a report by ANI, they were accompanied by police personnel.

Both women had also tried to enter the temple earlier but failed after they faced massive protests from devotees.

However, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President A Padmakumar has said that he had no information about the two women offering prayers at the temple, PTI reported.

According to a report by PTI, TDB officials have been asked to view CCTV footage to verify their claim, he said.

Bindu is a college lecturer and CPI(ML) activist from Kozhikode district's Koyilandy, and Kanakadurga is a civil supplies employee from Angadipuram in Malappuram. They had come to Sabarimala on December 24.

Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group into the shrine after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the top court verdict allowing all women to offer prayers at the temple.

The main opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP is opposing the entry of young women, saying they are with the devotees.

Four transgenders recently offered prayers at the temple while the attempt by over a dozen young women has been foiled by protesting devotees so far.
The two-month long pilgrim season at the Sabarimala Temple began on November 16 and the first phase will end on December 27.

The temple was opened on December 30 for the Makaravillaku festival and there has been a heavy rush of pilgrims.