Devotees throng Sabarimala temple
The iconic Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala reopened for the monthly poojas on Monday. A thick security cover has been put in place by police in and around the shrine to avoid any untoward incident. The Kerala police has deployed nearly 2,300 security personnel, including 100 women and a 20-member commando team in and around the shrine and security has been tightened in the nearby areas of Sannidhanam, Pamba, Nilakkal, and Elavunkal in the backdrop of violent protests over entry of women of menstrual age last month. If necessary, around 30 women police personnel in the rank of circle inspector and sub-inspector and above the age of 50 would be deployed at 'Sannidhanam' (temple complex) for security, they said.
The pilgrims will be allowed to go up the pathway only on Monday afternoon, an official said. The temple opens its door at 5 p.m. and closes on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Pathanamthitta district collector in Kerala has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in Sabarimala and nearby areas ahead of the Chithira Avittom Pooja. The hill shrine in Sabarimala will be open for devotees on November 5 and 6. Prohibitory orders will be in place from Saturday midnight till Tuesday midnight.
HERE ARE THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE SABARIMALA TEMPLE OPENING
05:47 pm: We've made adequate security arrangements for facilitating 'darshan' of all devotees. We have various threats in this area, taking into consideration various threat perceptions, we've provided security arrangements for everyone: IG Ajith Kumar, security in-charge of Sabarimala
05:12 pm:
05:06 pm: Sabarimala temple portals open, devotees throng famed shrine
2:50 pm: Congress leaders PJ Kurien and Ramesh Chennithala had accused the Centre and the state governments of politicising the issue instead of finding a solution to it.
The former deputy speaker of Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien, told ANI, "We don't want any violence, but the government (state) is trying to enforce the Supreme Court's order, trying to allow women between 10-50 years to enter the temple. My view is that the government (state) should call the interest of all parties and try to settle the issue." He suggested that similar to the Jallikattu row, an ordinance can be issued to solve the problem. "The government (state) can move to the court to review the order and try to find a solution, instead of converting Sabarimala into a place of conflict. Similar to the Jallikattu, an ordinance can be issued. If that is done, the whole problem will be solved," he said.
Echoing the same sentiment, Ramesh Chennithala told ANI, "We want peace in Sabarimala. There should be a conducive atmosphere for all the pilgrims to go to Sabarimala. There is no pilgrim only police force at Sabarimala, this is atrocious. They (Centre and State governments) are creating problems and not doing anything for the pilgrims. There is a sizable decrease in the number of pilgrims in Sabarimala."
2:00 pm: Kerala High Court says that devotees and media at Sabarimala Temple should not be blocked. The govt should not interfere in day to day activities of the temple. A department level inquiry must be conducted on policemen who had damaged the vehicles.
1:10 pm: Angry outbursts among devotees over KSRTC reportedly running few buses between Nilakkal and Pamba today. Dozens of devotees protest by walking from Nilakkal to Pamba. 'Why is the government hellbent on harassing devotees? There are thousands of us and very few buses. Is this how they want to treat us?' said one pilgrim.
12:17 pm: All guest houses belonging to different government departments at Sannidhanam have been locked up by the police.
12:10 pm: Both the Thantri (chief priest) and Melshanti (operational priest) at the 'Sannidhanam' have been asked to keep away from media.
11: 50 am: BJP leader PK Krishnadas said that such a clampdown in Sabarimala is unheard of in the history of the state. "This an infringement on the rights of devotees. Pinarayi Vijayan government is creating a war zone in Sabarimala," he said.
11:26 am: The tension at Nilakkal, the main gateway to the Sabarimala hill shrine, has eased with the state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) beginning service to the base camp at Pamba. The first bus carrying devotees who came for the Chithira Atha Visehsham pooja left Nilakkal around 11 am.
The devotees, who had come to Nilakkal from various places, had staged protests when police refused to give nod for the bus service. Following heated exchanges, they were allowed to proceed to Pamba by foot. Buses from Erumeli, a major entry point, also operated after 10 am following protests.
11:14 am: The police have cordoned off the Neelimala entry point to the Sabarimala trekking path, to stop the pilgrims from undertaking the trek to the shrine till 2 pm. The District Police Chief, T Narayanan said that all Pampa-bound vehicles are subjected to police checking and surveillance from Vadasserikkara onwards.
11:00 am: Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and chief priest Unnikrishnan Namboodiri would jointly open the temple doors and light the lamp at the 'Sreekovil' (sanctum sanctorum)
10:49 am: Protestors have blocked traffic on the Erumeli-Elavumkal Road since 8 am on Monday as they are protesting against the traffic curbs imposed by the Kerala Police on the roads leading to Sabarimala. The protesters have alleged that the police have been creating obstacles for Sabarimala pilgrims coming from different parts of South India in the name of security issues
10:27 am: The police have deployed face detection machines at Sabarimala to prevent protestors from going to the hill shrine disguised as devotees. The machines contain pictures of about 4,000 people, who had indulged in violence during the monthly pooja in October. This is the first time that Kerala is using the latest technology for security. Apart from the face detection machines, high-quality CCTV cameras have also been installed at every nook and corner at Nilakkal and Pampa base camps.
10:24 am: The priests at the Lord Ayyappa temple have threatened to close the temple if women between the age of 10 and 50 years entered the sanctum sanctorum. According to local media reports, the thantri (high priest) and melshanthi (chief priest) made their position clear to Inspector General of Police S Ajit Kumar when he called on them to discuss the arrangements for the Chithira Atha Visesham pooja. Such a declaration by the thantri during the monthly pooja in October had led to huge criticism.
10:23 am: The police have deployed face detection machines at Sabarimala to prevent protestors from going to the hill shrine disguised as devotees. The machines contain pictures of about 4,000 people, who had indulged in violence during the monthly pooja in October. This is the first time that Kerala is using the latest technology for security. Apart from the face detection machines, high-quality CCTV cameras have also been installed at every nook and corner at Nilakkal and Pampa base camps.
10:20 am: The priests at the Lord Ayyappa temple have threatened to close the temple if women between the age of 10 and 50 years entered the sanctum sanctorum. According to local media reports, the thantri (high priest) and melshanthi (chief priest) made their position clear to Inspector General of Police S Ajit Kumar when he called on them to discuss the arrangements for the Chithira Atha Visesham pooja. Such a declaration by the thantri during the monthly pooja in October had led to huge criticism.
10:15 am: Devotees, who arrived at Erumeli since Sunday evening, protested this morning against being allowed to leave for Pamba and Sannidhanam.
They blocked traffic chanting 'Ayyappa Sarnam'.
"We have been waiting since last evening. We were told that we would be allowed to leave at 6 am. Now, they are telling us that KSRTC buses will be allowed to leave only by 12 pm. We have come to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa. Please allow us to go," an angry devotee said.
If private vehicles are not being allowed, they should be taken in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses to Pamba, the devotee said.
10:00 am: Noting that the situation in Sabarimala was "explosive," Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullapally Ramachandran accused the CPM-led LDF government of 'failing' to handle it. Thousands of police personnel had been deployed in Sabarimala which was akin to "challenging and suppressing" the devotees, he alleged.
Whereas, BJP leader MT Ramesh warned that any attempt by police to hinder devotees from visiting Sabarimala would lead to "serious repercussions." Police would not be allowed to inspect the 'irumudikettu' (offerings devotees carry for Lord Ayyappa), he said.
09:30 am: Activist Rahul Easwar, president of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena which is among the outfits spearheading the protests, in a video message on Sunday said, "Like police, we are also fully prepared".
09:25 am: Pathanamthitta district Superintendent of Police T Narayanan said there had been no request from women to enter the shrine till Sunday. "So far no women in the 'barred' age group had approached police for protection to offer prayers at the hill shrine," he told PTI. A high-level meeting of senior police officers was held to take stock of the situation.
However, dismissing reports that media was being restrained from going to Sabarimala, Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behara said there was no bar on entry of journalists. "No restriction of any sort has been imposed on media persons," the top cop added. "To ensure necessary protection to the media, we are not allowing them now. As soon as security arrangements are complete, media will be allowed in Sabarimala and nearby places."
09:20 am: The representatives of the Pandalam royal family, the custodian of the jewellery of the Sabarimala temple, said the temple was passing through "tough times" as the temple town had been taken over by the police.
09:10 am: Devotees continue to trek from Nilakkal base camp to Sabarimala temple. The temple will open today evening and will be closed after the 'Athazha puja' tomorrow evening.
09:00 am: Ayyappa devotees and the police engage in war of words at Nilakkal, the main gateway to the Sabarimala hill shrine as the police has sought identity proof, phone number and address from the devotees going to the base camp at Pampa. Suresh, a devotee, said that a large number of devotees detained at Nilakkal had surrounded the police when they insisted on showing the documents to be allowed to proceed further. The police have stopped collecting the details following the protests.
08:58 am: Women police have entered the Lord Ayyappa temple for the first time in the history of the Sabrimala pilgrimage. Reports from the hill shrine said that 15 women police above the age of 50 have reached the temple premises. More details from the temple are not available as the media has not been allowed to go beyond the base camp at Pampa. Though the police had agreed to allow the media to go to the temple in the morning, they are still detained at Pampa.
08:54 am: Ayyappa devotees stranded at Erumeli, 27 kilometres from Nilakkal, have launched a protest there after their vehicles were stopped by the police. The vehicles of devotees are being detained at Erumeli due to lack of space at the main gateway. The devotees, who include many who have come from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, launched the protests by chanting Ayyappa songs after a heated argument with the police.
08:50 am: The police are checking the devotees going to Sabarimala at four points. Only those coming with irumudi kettu (a double-headed baggage in which pilgrims to the hill shrine carry their things and offering to the deity) are allowed to proceed further. The devotees are being detained at Nilakkal, the main gateway to the hill shrine. They will be allowed to go to the temple 25 kilometres away only in the afternoon.
The devotees will be taken to Pampa, the base camp, in the state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses.
08:40 am: Kerala: Devotees begin to gather at Nilakkal base camp as Sabarimala Temple is set to open today. Nilakkal base camp in-charge Manjunath H says, "There is adequate police deployment here. We are not restricting the movement of devotees."
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Meanwhile, the Kerala police's decision to deploy over 2,000 cops in an around the shrine premises have drawn criticism from the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, the BJP and the Congress for such fortification. While the Congress blamed the LDF-government for creating an 'explosive' situation in Sabarimala, BJP has called the police deployment 'undemocratic' and 'against the rule of law'.
Earlier on Sunday, Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behara dismissed reports that media was being restrained from going to Sabarimala. He said that no such restriction has been imposed on media persons. Meanwhile, several Hindu outfits in the state agitating against entry of women of menstrual age into the famous Sabarimala Temple have urged media outlets not to depute women journalists to cover the issue as the Lord Ayyappa temple is set to open Monday for a special puja.
The appeal issued by Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a joint platform of right wing outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Hindu Aikyavedi stated that he entry of women journalists belonging to this age group as part of their job was also likely to aggravate the situation.
The temple complex and nearby areas had witnessed violent protests by Ayyappa devotees against the entry of young women when it was opened for last month's poojas from October 17-22.
ALSO READ | Amid rising tensions, Sabarimala temple reopens tomorrow, police on high alert, over 2,300 cops deployed
At least 12 women had made a vain attempt to trek the hills soon after the Supreme Court verdict permitting women in the 10-50 age group to offer prayers at the shrine.
Over 3,345 protesters who prevented women from entering the shrine have been arrested since October 26 while 517 cases have been registered at various police stations across Kerala.
On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by then chief justice Dipak Misra in a 4:1 judgment had lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.
