The doors of the shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala, Kerala, opened on Wednesday evening for the first time after the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to worship in the temple.
Nilackal, the entry point of the temple, turned into a venue of protests by various groups that opposed the entry of younger women to the shrine.
Radhakrishnan Kuttoor reports from Nilackal.
Here are the live updates:
NCW asks Kerala Police to ensure proper security
The National Commission for Women urges the Kerala Police to ensure security of women who wish to enter the Sabarimala temple and demands stringent action against those taking the law into their hands.
The Commission’s response came after a section of protesters, who are opposing the decision to allow entry of women of all ages into the shrine, indulged in violence near the gateway on the foothills leading to the hill shrine.
The Commission, in a letter, asks the police to provide security to women who wish to enter the temple.
It also seeks stringent action against those taking the law into their hands and asked DGP Kerala Loknath Behera to submit a detailed action report in the matter to the Commission.
Strike call for tomorrow
Sabarimala Karma Samithi announces dawn-to-dusk harthal on October 18. The BJP has extended support to the harthal . The Praveen Togadia-led Antharashtra Hindu Parishad had earlier withdrawn its harthal call for October 18.
Temple opens
The temple opened for monthly pooja at 5 p.m. Prohibitory orders have been imposed for a day at Elavumkal, Pamba and Nilackal for Thursday. This was announced by the Pathanamthitta District Collector P.C. Noohu. It would be reviewed in due course.
Only routine rituals will be observed today. Special poojas start from Thursday. The temple will remain open for 5 days.
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader slams government
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader K.P. Sasikala addressing a meeting of devotees at Erumeli on October 17, 2018.
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader K. P. Sasikala says a government of atheists has no right to decide on the customs and rituals of believers of Sabarimala.
If the State government continues to ignore the sentiments of the Ayyappa devotees, it would be the last government in the world to be led by atheists, she says.
If the government forcibly ensures the entry of women of all ages in Sabarimala, those in the government will not be able to enter the State Assembly again. The seats occupied by those in the government will be cleansed, she says.
The government has failed the democratic rights of the Ayyappa devotees by not holding discussions with the representatives of the devotees, priests, religious organisations and the members of the erstwhile Royal family of Pandalam, she notes.
It is time for recreating a State that has been cleansed by floods, she says.
The government, according to her, violated the religious faith and fundamental rights of the devotees. The women devotees of Lord Ayyappan will launch massive protests against the government for violation of the rituals of Sabarimala, she adds.
A woman from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, Madhavi, is among the first two women who try to enter the Sabarimala temple but were stopped by protesters on the way. She was there with her family members. After she walks for some distance, police try to send her in a bus. But agitators say they will not allow the bus to move. Disappointed, she stays back at Pamba.
Woman journalist injured
A woman reporter of India Today TV is injured when a mob turns against a police van that was passing by the gateway to the Nilackal Mahadeva temple, where a protest meeting by various organisations is under way. She is taken away in the same police van to the government dispensary at Nilackal.
A group of protesters pelt stones at a police van in front of the gateway to the Nilackal Mahadeva temple, while BJP leader M.T.Ramesh is speaking.
'Govt will expose the intentions of those trying to foment trouble'
The government will not use force but will expose the intentions of those trying to foment trouble, says Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
Briefing reporters after the annual review meeting held in Sabarimala, Mr. Surendran says that the real faithful will renege on realising the truth and then the government will act against those perpetrating violence.
He says the agitations are politically motivated by the Congress, the BJP and the RSS. He also points out that these parties earlier welcomed the verdict, but changed their stance now for political gains.
The government prefers to adopt a path of consensus. The people of Kerala will soon sense the design and the real believers will not support the agitators, he adds.
CPI(M) lashes out at Congress, BJP
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members S. Ramachandran Pillai and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan reiterate that the State government is constitutionally obligated to implement the court verdict.
Mr. Pillai accuses the Congress and the BJP of raising a "non-issue" to put the government on the defence.
Mr. Balakrishnan says both the Congress and the BJP are trying to destroy the secular fabric of the State and claims they are working in coordination against the government.
Chief priest says he supports peaceful protest
The Sabarimala chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Rajeevararu tells Radhakrishnan Kuttoor that he is with the devotees and has extended full support to the ongoing peaceful devotees' movement to protect the ritualistic as well as Tantric custom and practices at Sabarimala.
The Tantri denies reports quoting him as saying that the temple will be closed if there were attempts to violate the custom of denying entry to women in the age group of 10-50 years.
"Closing the temple in protest of something itself amounts to violation of custom. Then, how can I issue a statement like that?'' he says.
Former TDB president arrested
The police arrest former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president Prayar Gopalakrishnan for leading a sit-in at Pampa.
They also remove members of the family of the chief priest who joined Mr Gopalakrishnan's protest.
BJP leaders K. Surendran, Shoba Surendran and Mr. Ramesh take over protest at Pampa, along with party workers.
Mr. Surendran accuses the State government of hurting the religious sentiments of people.
Mr. Ramesh pledges support to the agitation; says he will take it over from Thursday. The BJP's presence will be there in Nilackal and Pampa till the temple remains open, he adds.
Police begin removal of protesters from Pampa
State Police Chief (SPC) Loknath Behera has ordered more forces to be deployed at Pathanamthitta and Sabarimala.
He has also ordered district police chiefs to prosecute those who attempte to stop and check vehicles ferrying pilgrims. He says Sabarimala is safe for all devotees.
A senior official says the agitaters were pitting women in the forefront to dissuade police action. The SPC has placed women police battalions and a company of women commandos on standby.
The police start removing protesters in small batches from Pampa after recording their arrest formally.
Protesters turn away women
The police identify the main anti-women groups as the Ayyappa Dharma Sena and the Save Sabarimala Forum. They had pitched camps in the locality despite the police declaring it a special zone on Tuesday to stymie any attempt to turn the Pampa river bank into a hotspot of political protests.
Chanting Ayyappa incantations, the agitators recurrently accosted women headed up the hill to the temple and challenged them to prove their age.
At least one woman TDB official is caught on camera showing her Aadhaar card to the protesters to prove her age before they allowed her to proceed to the temple to attend to her official duties.
Former MLA K. Sivadasan Nair addressing the Congress Satyagraha in Nilackal on Wednesday.
TV crew attacked
A woman reporter of a private English television channel was assaulted by a group of protesters at the Nilackal base camp. The male cameraperson accompanying her was also heckled.
The irate protesters damaged their car.
RSS-BJP backed elements creating communal frenzy, says AIDWA
The CPI(M)’s women wing, All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), alleged that the BJP-RSS backed elements were creating “communal frenzy” against the implementation of the Supreme Court.
“Ever since the judgement, the RSS and its affiliated organisations have attacked the Supreme Court and the LDF Government of Kerala,” AIDWA said in a statement to media.
AIDWA also demanded immediate arrest of all BJP-RSS leaders and supporters who were “issuing open threats to women and trying to disturb the atmosphere of peace and harmony that has been fostered by the Left movement”.
Woman devotee prevented from entering Sabarimala hill
A family from Andhra Pradesh had to turn back since a group of activists belonging to Ayyappa Sena disallowed them from trekking to the temple — the reason being a 45-year-old woman was part of the pilgrims.
Earlier in the day, a woman from Cherthala, was prevented at Pathanamthitta.
No one will be allowed to block pilgrims: Minister
In a Facebook post, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran says no one will be allowed to block pilgrims from worshipping at the the Ayyappa temple. " None would be allowed to disrupt peace," he says.
Mr. Surendran says he has reached Sabarimala not to facilitate or block women's entry but to take part in the regular annual review meeting of Devaswom Board.
The people who are trying to convert sharanamayyappa prayer to a slogan are insulting ayyapan and his devotees. It has become clear that those creating problems do not have the backing of devotees, Mr. Surendran said.
BJP leader Shoba Surendran reaches Nilackal base camp in her vehicle on Wednesday.
Police blocked the BJP leader Shobha Surendran from proceeding to the base camp after addressing the women devotees at Nilackal.
An irate mob broke the police cordon and made way for her vehicle, amid vociferous chants of Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa.
Congress with devotees, says Sudhakaran
KPCC working president, K. Sudhakaran, at Nilackal base camp on Wednesday.
Congress State working president, K. Sudhakaran, has reached Nilackal.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Sudhakaran blames both the Union and State governments, the BJP as well as the Left parties, for the messy state of affairs at Sabarimala.
He says Congress stands firm with the Ayyappa devotees but urges no one should be prevented from worshipping.
A day-long fast is being organised at Nilackal an Wednesday, expressing solidarily with the devotees, he adds.
The Travancore Devaswom Board is learnt to have dropped its plan to meet on Thursday to discuss the protesters request to file a review petition on the Supreme Court verdict since the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam and the tantri family refused to budge from their position at the talks held in Thiruvanathapuram on Tuesday.
The Pandalam Palace and the tantri are insisting that the Board should file a review petition in Supreme Court against the verdict.
The TDB authorities have reiterated their resolve to implement the verdict yet again, it being a constitutional obligation.
BJP State president P.S.Sreedharan Pillai has begun his dawn-to-dusk fast at Pathanamthitta as part of the second phase of the ‘Save Sabarimala’ campaign launched by the party.
Protesters have started converging in small groups at Nilackal base camp.
BJP leader Shobha Surendran, Hindu Aikyavedi leader K.P. Sasikala addressed the women who are protesting against Supreme Court's verdict, at the gateway of the Nilackal Mahadevar Temple.
Woman mobbed
Scores of people, including women, mobbed a woman en route to Sabarimala at Pathanamthitta bus stand.
The police threw a human wall around the woman devotee when the group gheraoed her shouting Ayyappa chants.
The woman, Libi from Cherthala, told television journalists that she had observed the rigorous 41-day penance to visit the temple and no force could turn her back. The police escorted her away from the spot.
At Sabarimala temple, the chief priest Rajiv Kantararu tells television reporters that his prayers were with those striving to protect the temple traditions. However, he says he is not for any open agitation in the matter.
Police remove the makeshift shed at Nilakcal base camp that had become the focal point of protests.
Tension prevails at the Nilackal base camp as police hustled away scores of BJP-RSS workers who attempted to block the road to the ancient forest shrine 22 km downhill at Nilackal base camp.
The officers also dismantle a makeshift shed that had become the focal point of the agitation against the Government for its refusal to appeal the momentous verdict.
The Travancore Devasom Board, which, looks after the hill shrine, is holding a review meeting in the morning.
Day-long hartal
The Sabarimala Samrakshana Samithi has called for a 24-hour hartal to protest Supreme Court's verdict favouring entry of women of all ages in Sabarimala for worship.
The hartal will be observed from the midnight of October 17 to midnight of October 18.
The Sabarimala Karma Samiti has said it's women supporters will observe fast at various places in Kerala, including Nilackal, to protest government and Devaswom Board's decision to implement the top court's verdict.
Pampa, Sannidhanam special security zones
The State police have declared Pampa and Sannidhanam as special security zones to stymie any attempt to turn the religiously sensitive localities into hotspots for political protests. Section 83 of the Kerala Police Act has been invoked to prevent any flare-ups in the pilgrim locality.
As part of the stringent security arrangements, no vehicle will be allowed beyond Nilackal. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation would continuously ferry pilgrims from Nilackal to Pampa and back.
Eight protesters held in late night crackdown
A group of women asking three girls travelling on a Pampa-bound bus to get down at Nilackal on Tuesday.
The police cracked down on protesters at Nilackal, the entry point to the Sabarimala hill temple, arresting eight persons from the Namajapa pandal of the Sabarimala Aachara Samrakshana Samiti late on Tuesday.
By late evening, the police had also taken control of the main road to Pampa, with Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran driving through under tight security for Wednesday’s official review meeting
