Won’t close Sabarimala temple, but urge women not to come: Head priest


Sabarimala, Oct 19(PTI): The Sabarimala temple head priest, Kandaru Rajeevaru, on Thursday dismissed reports that the family planned to close down the Lord Ayyappa temple if women entered it to offer prayers. He was reacting at Sannidhanam, the temple complex, after some reports were widely shared on social media that they may close the temple.

However, the priest appealed to women belonging to the age group of 10-50 who were restricted as per the centuries-old traditions of the shrine, not to come to Sannidhanam.

"We have never said that the temple will be closed if women of the traditionally barred age group enter there. It is our duty and responsibility to carry out the monthly pujas and other rituals. We will not break the custom," Kandaru Rajeevaru said.

He also said Sabarimala is a place where women are respected.

The second major deity at the hillock shrine complex is Malikappurathamma, a goddess.

"We respect the verdict of the Supreme Court. But considering the sentiments of devotees and the tradition and rituals of the shrine, I humbly request you (women) not to come to Sabarimala," he said.

Expressing pain at the turn of events, he said it was yet to ascertain how violence had erupted at the prayer meeting protest.

He also urged everyone not to turn the temple complex, the poonkavanam (garden) of Lord Ayyappa into a "war zone".

VN Vasudevan Namboothiri, a resident of Palakkad district, was elected the new melshanthi (chief priest) of the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple for the next one year.

He is presently serving as priest of an Ayyappa temple in Bengaluru.

MN Narayanan Namboothiri, from Chengannur, would be the new priest of Malikappuram shrine at the hill temple complex.

Both the priests were selected through a draw of lots conducted in front of the sanctum sanctorum.

They will take charge on November 17, the day the temple would be opened for the three-month-long Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival, Travancore Devaswom Board sources said.

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.

  

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Comment on this article

  • anthony, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    The Kerala Govt is duty bound to enforce the Supreme Court order. The Temple Priest could have avoided his appeal urging women not to come as some activists and trouble makers could vitiate the atmosphere further by filing a contempt of Court case against the High Priest.

    With a BJP Sarkar at the centre, why is the Central Govt not issuing an ordinance to stay the court order if the RSS and their siblings in Kerala are so much against the Supreme Court order. Obviously Petty Politics are more important than Wisdom to difuse the situation. Heads they win with tradition Tails they loose all the Women Votes as even Meneka Gandhi has welcomed the court Judgement. In fact the BJP in Kerala and the RSS intitally welcomed the court judgement but sensing their mispalced logic of petty politics back tracked and preferred to rock the boat in Kerala.

    Who will now bell the cat of filing a revision petition. The BJP and the RSS who are behind all the volatile situation near the temple should file the review petition if they strongly feel against the original court order.

    They will probably use some dummies to file this review petiton so that they can keep the pot boling.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rathan, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Anthony
    Now cat is out of bag
    Your chaddiless kummis Govt filed revision petition. Why they took so long to file?, All nautanki and dombarata. If they r serious they should have filed on the very next day of Apex Court order. Now after seeing the support for tradition and fearing the back lash /loss of vote bank State Govt made a "u" turn
    Shame on such Govt who wants to play with sentiments of the general publuc

    DisAgree [3] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shankar, BENGALURU

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Center doesn't has power, unless states requests the center. During Jallikattu issue, Tamilnadu govt requested center to pass ordinance. But why Kerala govt is not requesting center to pass ordinance?!

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Backstabbing politics!

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • prakash, mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    in this century, women are fighting to enter a temple...and we talk about equality...India will never develop. double minded

    DisAgree [6] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Won’t close Sabarimala temple, but urge women not to come: Head priest



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