Devaswom Board says won’t allow activist Trupti Desai to enter Sabarimala temple

Thiruvananthapuram: In the backdrop of woman activist Trupti Desai’s plan to enter the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayappa at Sabariamala, Travancore Devaswom Board Friday said it would not break with tradition and customs in allowing entry of women in the age group of 10-50 into the shrine.

"Nobody will be allowed to break the custom and tradition of the temple," Prayar Gopalakrishnan, chairman of Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine, told reporters. He was replying to a question on woman activist Trupti Desais plans to enter Sabarimala with a group of about 100 women as part of their campaign to enable women of all age groups have darshan at the shrine.

There are restrictions in the entry of women between 10-50 years of age in the temple. Gopalakrishnan also said he fully agreed with Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran’s statement that Trupti Desai would not be allowed to enter the temple.

Sabarimala is one of the most visited holy sites in the world, with an estimated 50-60 million devotees from all over the country undertaking the pilgrimage between 16 November and 14 January. Even this year, despite the hardships caused by the government's demonetisation drive, there hasn't been a dip in the arrival of pilgrims and offerings.