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Earlier, the Devaswom Board had disagreed with the stand of the Kerala government that supported the entry of women of all ages into the temple shrine. Now the board made a U-turn.
Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the Board's decision will be that of Ayyappa devotees too when it comes to allowing women inside the Sabarimala temple. The minister was responding to the questions posed by the media regarding the decision of the Devaswom Board, which contradicted the Kerala government's stand in the Supreme Court.
The minister said he doesn't know whether the Devaswom Board had changed its stand or not. The government's decision will not be changed. And it is entrusted to see changes in the country, he added.
The Devaswom Board is an independent institution. The government has appointed its members. But the board will have to take a stand on temple priests and customs. Kerala has avoided many practices, which are religious.
Earlier, the Devaswom Board had disagreed with the stand of the government that supported the entry of women of all ages into the temple shrine. Now the board made a U-turn.
The board will inform the Supreme Court about this matter during the next hearing slated for Tuesday (24 July). Reports suggest that the Supreme Court may criticise the contradicting decisions taken by the Devaswom Board.
The Travancore Devaswom Board had opposed the entry of women of all ages in the temple.
The Devaswom Board had told the court that women aged between 10 and 50 years could not enter Sabarimala. It's not because of discrimination, but because of the beliefs. The Devaswom Board also pointed out that it is impossible for women to observe 41 days of fasting.
But the Supreme Court questioned the argument and observed that what Devaswom is doing to women is not right. The court said there are chances that a woman's menstrual period can end at 45 years of age. In that case, will she be able to enter?
Meanwhile, the Pandalam royal family came out against women's entry in the Sabarimala Temple. The royal family members said that the government could not decide on this matter too.
Pandalam Palace Trust President Sasikumar Varma said that the decision regarding the entry of women in the temple could only be taken by the Devaswom Board, temple priest and the Pandalam Palace.
The royal family also explained that women are not denied entry because of their age, menstruation or gender issues. In fact, there are reasons for opposing the entry of women into Sabarimala. Ayyappan is an eternal Brahmachari (bachelor).
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