New Delhi / Supreme Court to Decide today on Review Pleas Against Entry of Women in Sabarimala temple

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will give its verdict on Thursday on the entry of women into Kerala's 800-year-old Sabarimala temple. The court approved the entry of women into the temple on 28 September 2018 by a 4: 1 majority. This was followed by violent protests in many districts of Kerala to protest against the verdict. 56 reconsideration petitions were filed on the verdict. A total of 65 petitions are to be heard. On 6 February, the court reserved the verdict.

The bench which delivered the verdict on Thursday also included Justice RF Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra.

The only woman judge on the bench said - Religious issues should not be dealt with

• The Supreme Court, in its judgment, had approved the entry of women, saying that the decades-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional.
• Justice Indu Malhotra had said that in order to maintain the atmosphere of secularism, the court should not raise issues related to religious meanings.
• Justice Deepak Mishra had said that stopping the temple for physical reasons is not a necessary part of the custom. This shows male predominant thinking.
• Justice DY Chandrachud had said that it is unconstitutional to ban women on the basis of menstruation. It is against humanity.

Case came to light in 1990

• 29 years ago in 1990, a case of entry of women between 10-50 years of age came to the temple premises. A petition was filed in the Kerala High Court to stop them. The court upheld the centuries-old tradition of prohibiting the entry of women into Sabarimala.
• This ban was challenged in 2006. Since then, Sabarimala started making headlines again and again.
• In 2006, Kannada actress Jayamala claimed that she saw Lord Ayyappa in 1987. The temple chief had said that God is angry because the young woman had come to the temple.
• In 2007, the Government of Kerala's Left filed an affidavit in support of the Young Lawyers' Association petition against the High Court's decision.
• When the United Democratic Front government came in February 2016, the demand for women entry was overturned. Said tradition should be protected.
• In 2017, the Supreme Court referred the case to the Constitution Bench. On 28 September 2018, the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women. Several Hindu organizations, including the royal family of Kerala and the temple's chief priests, had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court.
• The Sabarimala Working Committee had alleged that the Supreme Court destroyed their customs and traditions by allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
• It is believed that Lord Ayyappa of the 12th century is Brahmachari. Because of which the entry of women of 10 to 50 years in the temple was forbidden.