Jan. 3, 2019

In 2018, the Supreme Court of India has delivered a historic ruling on September 28 allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at the shrine.

Bindu Ammini, aged 42, is a college lecturer at the School of Legal Studies of Kannur University and a CPI(M) activist from Koyilandy of Kozhikode district. Kanakadurga, aged 44, is an employee in the civil supplies department from Angadipuram in Malappuram district. They had come to Sabarimala on December 24, 2018, but had been prevented from entering the shrine of the Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala. One January 2, these two brave women accompanied by police officials had secretly and successfully entered Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala at 3:38 am.

Following their entry at the shrine, the chief priest has decided to close the sanctum sanctorum of the temple at 10:30 am for performing the purification ceremony. The shrine reopened in the afternoon after completion of the ritual.

But, such issue has brought protests from the opposition Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated CPI(M)) government in Kerala. It is reported one person was killed as violent protests outside the temple on January 2. Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga are now hiding in an undisclosed location.