SABARIMALA TEMPLE, India: Hindu hardliners who want to keep female worshippers out of a historic Indian temple forced two women to abandon their attempt to enter the sacred site on Friday despite a 100-strong riot police escort.
The Sabarimala Temple in Kerala has become the focus of a battle over gender equality, pitting religious traditionalists against progressive voices pushing for a more liberal Hinduism.
A Supreme Court decision to end a ban on women of "menstruating age" - those between 10 and 50 years - from visiting has sparked violent demonstrations on the roads leading to the complex.
Journalist and an activist
On Friday, journalist Kavitha Jakkal and activist Rehana Fatima were just 500 metres from the final 18 golden steps leading to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala when they had to beat a retreat.
"We have told the female devotees about the situation, they will now be going back," S. Sreejith, a senior police official in Kerala state, told local media at the hilltop site.
#Kerala: Journalist Kavitha Jakkal of Hyderabad based Mojo TV and woman activist Rehana Fatima are en-route to the #SabarimalaTemple. pic.twitter.com/IADqXgEJZJ
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
Around 100 Indian riot police had escorted the women towards the temple, facing off against Hindu hardliners who have been protesting the entry of women.
The journalist was wearing a helmet as police with shields and body armour accompanied her up the steep hill to Sabarimala, television pictures showed.
The activist was carrying the customary "irrumudi" offering made of coconut and clarified butter in a cloth bag on top of her head.
But bare-chested, clapping and shouting devotees blocked their path, with priests chanting mantras and slogans beside the final steps.
The temple was meant to allow women of all ages - not just older ones and young girls as before - from Wednesday, following an order by India's highest court.
The Supreme Court stepped in to overturn a nearly three-decade-old ruling formalising a ban on women of menstruating age.
People of all ages will be allowed to go there. But at the same time we won't allow it to be a place where activists can come&showcase their power. It can't be a place where they prove certain points of theirs: State Devaswom (religious trusts) Minister #SabarimalaTemple #Kerala pic.twitter.com/5a4MvZYN0f
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
The ban reflected an old but still prevalent view in some areas that connects menstruation with impurity.
The Supreme Court ruling enraged traditionalists, including supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"It's absolutely wrong what they tried. One lady is not even a Hindu and other is an activist from a left party union," Anil Kumar, a local BJP leader manning a roadblock on Friday, said.
"Why is the police even escorting such women to the temple? They are not even from families who are devotees of our Ayyappa."
'Everyone is angry'
Hundreds of hardliners, throwing stones at baton-wielding police, have defied the order - surrounding and shouting at any woman attempting to make it to the temple despite a heavy police presence.
Groups of young men also surrounded and smashed the car windows of female television reporters and threatened others. Another female correspondent was kicked.
They also stopped and checked cars at intersections in the area and local Hindu groups imposed a strike on Thursday, warning taxi drivers not to take anyone to the shrine.
On Thursday the mood at the temple, reached by a steep path through a lush tiger sanctuary, was festive, with the only females present small girls or older women.
"Everyone is angry and I don't have to hide it. What the Supreme Court has done isn't right. We don't want any change. Our Ayyappa's traditions don't need to be tampered with," shirtless devotee Sundaravadana said, clutching a "Save Sabarimala" placard.
"We've come here since our childhood and understand the rich tradition behind it. Women are allowed everywhere, at all other temples. It doesn't happen here for a reason. We will do whatever to save our Sabrimala," he added
Women are permitted to enter most Hindu temples but are still barred by some.
Two years ago, activists successfully campaigned to end a ban on women entering the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra state.
Women were also permitted to enter Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah mausoleum, a Muslim place of worship, after the Supreme Court scrapped a ban in 2016.
House damaged
Fathima's house in Kochi was meanwhile damaged by angry devotees.
"We have just come here after hearing about the damage caused to her home. We do not know if there were other residents around," said a police official.
Fathima works with the BSNL in Kochi and lives with her partner. Both had started out for the temple.
"There are no separate rule of law for activists, or others. There is only one law. She is not an activist and she has the right to go and pray as per the apex court directive," said Fathima's partner who is a news producer, who along with his team is present at the protest venue.
BSNL has issued a statement saying it was not connected with Rehana Fathima's action, who is a staff of their Ernakulam Business Area.
"Outside BSNL premises, Rehana Fathima alone shall be fully responsible for her action in her own personal capacity outside the normal business hours.
"This is in no way related to the written assigned official responsibilities, as per BSNL conduct and service rules and regulations," the statement said.
The agitators’ core arguments
The main argument at the root of the current agitation against the court verdict is the alleged “impurity” of menstruating women.
In fact, it is a taboo in almost all temples. It is more of a voluntary sort of thing considering the difficulties in enforcing it. Whether the court has any right to intervene in the affairs of the faithful is just tactical point to divert the attention.
The protest organisers have taken special care to bring women to the forefront of the agitation but it presents a bizarre spectacle. Thousands of women marching to the tune of some invisible men — to save Ayyappan from their own “impurities”.
The other point was the “eternal celibate” nature attributed to Lord Ayyappan. It is believed that Ayyappan’s celibacy will be affected if women of reproductive age enter Sabarimala.
What the court said
The India Supreme Court primarily looked in to the issue on the basis of gender discrimination and right to worship.
Right to worship is given to all devotees and there can be no discrimination on the basis of gender, the court said.
The practice of barring women in age group of 10-50 to go inside the temple violates constitutional principles, the Supreme Court said in its verdict.
What is Sabarimala and who is Ayyappan?
Devotees arrive to pay obeisance at Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, Thursday, October 18, 2018.
Sabarimala is one of the most prominent Hindu pilgrimage centres in south India, located in Pathanamthitta District, in the state of Kerala.
The temple is open for worship during the 41 days of Mandalapooja (November-December) Makaravilakku (in January) and Vishu Sankranti (April) — and the first five days of each Malayalam month.
The shrine witnesses one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world — with up to 50 million devotees visiting every year.
It is one of the ‘richest’ temples in India in terms of seasonal income. During the festive season last year it has achieved a record income of Rs 255 crores or Dh 126,140,810.
In 1991, the Kerala High Court bench restricted the entry of women above the age of 10 and below the age of 50 from Sabarimala Shrine, as they were of the menstruating age.
Essentially, it is this order that the Supreme Court constitution bench had scrapped through its 4-1 judgement, allowing women of all ages the right to enter the temple.
The legend of Ayyappan
There’s one popular legend associated with the birth of Ayyappan, the deity of Sabarimala shrine. Ayyappan is also called Hari-Hara putra, which literally means “son of Hari” (Vishnu – an important deity in Hindu pantheon) and Hara (Shiva - another important Hindu deity). And these two are male deities.
How could Ayyappan be born of two male deities? The story, popular in many South Indian texts, goes like this: In those days, there were constant fights between Devas and Asuras or the gods and demons, but they united once for “Samudra mandhan”, or the churning of the ocean to get Amrit, something like an elixir of immortality.
When the pot containing the elixir emerged from the ocean, the Asuras grabbed it and they wanted to keep it for themselves.
Sensing trouble, Vishnu then took the form of Mohini, a gorgeous female enchantress, and tricked Asuras to hand over the pot containing the exilir.
When Shiva came to know about this, he wanted to see the enchantress Mohini. Vishnu assumed the form again and Shiva couldn’t control his desire for Mohini — and Ayyappan (or Shasta) is born out of their union.
The union of Shiva and Vishnu is narrated in the same vein, with additions and subtractions, in various south texts like Bhagavata Purana, Brahmanda Purana and Tripurarahasya.
Was Sabrimala a Buddhist temple?
Sabarimala is the only major temple in Kerala where people from any religion could go freely.
And it’s not because of the Hindu tradition or heritage, but points to the Buddhist connection.
Women were denied entry probably because of the same connection as Buddhist “viharas” were out of bounds for the women in the early days.
Ayyappan is also called “Dharma Shaastaavu” and the word Dharma or Dhamma clearly indicates the Buddhist connection.
Another curious link to Budhdhist tradition is the call for Sharanam (a request for protection or help).
During Shabarimala pilgrimage, Ayyappan devotees’ talismanic chant is “Swami Sharanam, Ayyappa Sharanam” and this has obvious roots in Buddhist sharana chants like “Budham Sharanam, Sangham Sharanam”, scholars have pointed out.
The third one is the posture of the deity, it has a close similarity to Buddhist idols.
Noted Kerala academic Sunil P. Ilayidom has commented that the Sabarimala idol is similar to those found in the Gandhara style of Budhdhist art.
All this point to the strong possibility that Sabarimala could be such Buddhist shrine appropriated by the Hindu mainstream groups from a Buddhist sect.
So whose tradition are they trying to protect now?
Most of the people protesting on the streets and attacking women devotees on social media who want to go to Sabarimala have no idea about any of these — other than what the campaigners have pushed down their throat.
The Tamil connection and Ayyanaar
Ayyappan is also called Shashtavu. Shasta is also identified with the Tamil deity Aiyyanaar. Village temples of Ayyanaar can be seen everywhere in Tamil Nadu. He is considered a guardian of many other folk deities.
The origins of Ayyanaar worship is not very well documented, and some studies have pointed to the Sinhalese and possible Buddhist connection for this deity too. Sinhalese worship him in the name of Ayyanayake, according to scholarly studies.
- With input from agencies
