The first leg of the 41-day annual pilgrim season of the famous Lord Ayyappa temple here comes to a close on Friday with the auspicious Mandala puja sans any protest over the women's entry issue unlike the turbulence witnessed last year.
As the annual pilgrimage season is progressing at Sabarimala, the Kerala government is making all efforts to make it a "green" affair by avoiding plastic articles and promoting the use of eco-friendly products.
The sanctum sanctorum of the hill temple was closed at 6.15 am after darshan by P Raghava Varma Raja, representative of the erstwhile Pandalam royal family, attached to the centuries-old shrine.
Five others have sustained grievous injuries, a senior police officer told PTI, adding that some of the deceased were in their early twenties or early thirties.
With the Sabarimala temple opening on Sunday for the popular 'Makaravilakku' season, the administration has extended the prohibitory orders till January 5, an official said.
Faced with unrelenting protests from devotees, two women in their forties, who tried to trek to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa here Monday, were forced to return without offering prayers.
CM Vijayan's remarks came after representatives of dozens of Hindu social organisations met him.
The temple town and the nearby places witnessed large-scale protests started by various Hindu groups after the Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged 10-50.
The temple town and the nearby places witnessed large-scale protests started by various Hindu groups after the Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged 10-50.
Sathasivam said, during the meeting, he discussed with Vijayan measures to address complaints on lack of basic amenities like drinking water, toilets and rest rooms at Nilackal, the base camp, and at Pampa en route to Sanidhanam.
Sabarimala Row: Over 68 people were taken into preventive custody at the Sabarimala Shrine late Sunday night after fresh protests broke out at the Nadapanthal area in the Sannidhanam.
The protestors, including women, squatted on roads, blocking traffic at various places, including in state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Thrissur, Palakkad and in front of Kottarakara sub-jail, where Surendran has been lodged, and also the northernmost Kasaragod district.
Amid fears of fresh protests, officials have issued prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC banning assembly of four or more people has been imposed in Sabarimala in Kerala from midnight Thursday for a week.
The meeting comes two days after the Supreme Court decided to review its decision allowing women of all ages to enter the hilltop shrine.
The Supreme court decison comes amid heightening tensions all across Kerala over the apex court's judgment lifting the decade-old ban on women's entry to the Sabarimala shrine.
According to latest reports, a woman armed with the Supreme Court order -- permitting the entry of all women into the shrine -- has approached the police, seeking help to offer prayers at the temple as the stand-off over the entry of women of menstrual age into the famous hill shrine continued for the sixth day.
TDB President A Padmakumar said any authentic document or certificate including Aadhaar card is acceptable during the routine checks at the foothills of Sabarimala temple.
A petition challenging the practice of restricting the entry of women into the Sabrimala temple in Kerala has caught the attention of the entire country. The PIL has sought entry for all women and girls
Sabarimala(Kerala): Devotees have started pouring at the foothills of the holy hillock of Sabarimala as the two-month long annual pilgrimage season of Lord Ayyappa temple is all set to begin in the wee hours on
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