Bhakti Or Activism? As Women Devotees Protest Against SC Ruling, Trupti Desai To Enter Sabarimala

Amidst strong protests against the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing women of the menstruating age group to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, activist Trupti Desai has announced her plans to enter the Ayyappa temple, reports The First Post.

The apex court has upheld the rights of women and my date of entry into Sabarimala would be declared soon, Desai was quoted from an interview to a Malayalam channel. She said that there should be no attempt to stop them from entering the shrine.

Desai is touted to be a gender equality activist who led the protests for allowing women to worship in Mumbais' Haji Ali Dargah.

However, Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President PS Sreedharan Pillai appealed to Desai not to deliberately hurt the sentiments of devotees.

“In the best interests of all, she should not venture out to challenge the feelings of millions of devotees who have taken the apex court ruling as a trauma,” Pillai, who leads the protest against the 28 September ruling, to the state capital from Alappuzha, told the media.

Apart from Pillai, Rahul Easwar, a member of the Sabarimala priestly family, requested Desai to abstain from entering the temple.

“We will be staging a protest in true Gandhian style if there is an attempt to deliberately destroy the traditions and culture of the temple. We request her to offer prayer in Ayyappa temples elsewhere in the state and not at the Sabarimala temple,” media quoted Easwar as saying.

The temple is about to open on 18 October for its routine. However, the Sabarimala priest’s family has filed a review petition against the apex court order, requesting restoration of traditions of the temple. The Supreme Court will hear the petition on 28 October.