On Wednesday, two women entered Sabarimala Temple, located in Kerala, India. The temple is known for being one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, and is a popular pilgrimage destination. For many years, women between the ages of 10 and 50 were banned from entering or worshiping in the temple, as this age range is associated with menstruation. The temple is considered to be the spiritual home of Lord Ayyappa, the Hindu god of growth, who is viewed as celibate. Thus, the belief is that “impure” women shouldn’t be allowed to enter the temple, as it would be “disrespectful” to the god.
The law banning women was officially created in 1991, though the ban had existed informally for centuries prior. In September 2018, a five-judge bench struck down the law, deeming it discriminatory in nature and arguing that women should be able to pray at the place of their choice, according to CNN. “It is constitutional morality that is supreme. Prohibition can’t be regarded as an essential component of religion,” said the judges’ ruling. The decision ended the long-fought battle to allow women to worship in the temple.
Despite the decision reached in September, many conservative Hindus still opposed allowing women into the temple. Women were successfully prohibited from entering the temple for three months after the court’s decision. In fact, Bindu Ammini, 40, and Kanaka Durga, 39, initially attempted to enter the temple on 24 December, but were blocked from doing so by protesters, according to The Times of India. Thus, when the two women were able to successfully enter the temple on Wednesday, it was a pivotal event, and more protests subsequently erupted. Many protesters were throwing stones at law enforcement officials, and police had to use tear gas to disperse them. Police were initially on hand to protect the two women, but acted as necessary to quell the unruly protesters.
The two women received an escort because of “police responsibility to provide protection to any devotee irrespective of gender,” Pramod Kumar, state police spokesman, told reporters. Kumar added that the police were gearing up in anticipation of further protests later in the week.
According to the Associated Press, millions of women formed a human chain over 600 kilometers long throughout the state on Tuesday in support of gender equality.
Furthermore, the actions of these two women are clearly inspiring others to take bold steps forward. On Friday, another woman, Sasikala, 46, entered the temple after journeying from Sri Lanka. Police have ramped up their presence at the temple site, as Sasikala’s entrance and the potential for the future entrance of more women will likely only intensify the ongoing protests.
The issue has also been increasingly politicized, with the Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), arguing that the court’s decision is an attack on Hindu values and must be reversed immediately. On the other hand, the Kerala state government has shown its support for the court’s verdict. However, the issue continues to be a salient one, in light of the upcoming general election, scheduled for April and May. According to BBC News, critics have accused incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pursuing a religiously divisive agenda to court the BJP’s support base.
With this law being struck down, and India’s Supreme Court also striking down Section 377, thereby legalizing consensual sexual relations between two homosexual adults in September, India appears to be on a path of progressiveness. How far that path leads only time will tell, but India appears to be moving in the right direction, despite the naysayers and protesters.
