Sabarimala temple is a very much open temple for all. There’s a no religious, caste, creed, sex, discrimination in that temple. It’s NOT a Hindu only temple. People from any religion can go there. Basically, there is no ban for women in that temple. Millions of women have visited the temple. The name of the temple itself is derived from Sabari (If you know Ramayana). Yes. YOUNG women are not allowed i.e., women in their menstrual age isn’t allowed because Lord Ayyappa is a bramhachari and wanted to stay away from women. Simple. And people out there are trying to follow these only.
Sabarimala is the one place in Kerala which is exclusively for men. This is where men go together; it’s a male bonding thing. Fathers and sons, brothers, uncles, grandfathers all the male members in a family or community or friends go there together .The whole community irrespective of caste, wealth, creed joins in, including the women. Yes! Many of the women keep fast with the men in the family.
These forty one days are a source of great joy and peace for many homes. It is the only time of the year when men don’t drink, don’t eat non-vegetarian food, everyone gets up very early in the morning around 4:00 a.m, bathe, does the pooja, visit the nearest temple, the family gets together. It brings family members in together. It is through 40 days of detox. There is a bond not only in the family but in the community. The women have the home to themselves for 3 days or until the men come back to do as they please. What do they call this is modern terms? Men having their own space and women their own space and time out. Well, people are carrying out the tradition for a long time now and they’re happy.
Women below 10 can’t be assigned the term brahmacharini. Women above 50 enter a stage of spiritual journey so what the hell is wrong with that rule? Where did equality and sexism come there? Devotees worship with faith and according to Vedas or puranas, believing they are the words of God. According to puranas, Ayappa was a bachelor (celibate) and wished no woman in reproductive age should come to his place. If constitution respects faith of people then it should also respect puranas or Vedas (words of God).
There are roughly 6,00,000 temples in India. But the ONE temple they need to abstain from, is a news headline for days on end, as if we have no other issues to tackle in the country. At the same time, we cannot forget “Chakkulathukavu” shrine dedicated to Goddess Durga, the Guinness World record holder for the single largest congregation of women anywhere in the world! On the occasion of their annual festival, long serpentine queues of ladies making pots of the holy-offering porridge on the streets stretch for miles, and there isn’t a whiff of a man anywhere in sight. Again, Chengannur Bhagwathy Temple has menstruating goddess and they celebrate the menstrual festival with pride. There are nari pujas where no men are allowed. Now would Supreme Court say anything against these *discrimination* (as they say) to men?
There are rules and regulations and disciplines in any temple because they are based on some spiritual reasons and unique culture. If you don’t like the way it is working then just don’t visit the place. As simple as that.
I really don’t understand why Supreme Court is poking into religious affairs of people when there are more pressing matters at hands. Today, women in India are asking for change, more than ever. But, women empowerment certainly doesn’t mean breaking customs which is being carried out for decades now. It’s high time that we should come out of religious stuffs and give attention to the serious issues, like education of illiterate women. 34.56% of India is still left to be educated. The rape rate is going high and not decreasing. Women do not feel safe walking in the streets. And the never forgetting talaq issue. Supreme Court should solve these issues rather interfering in the ‘bleeding-and-not-so-burning-topics’.
