Ahead of the opening of the Sabarimala temple for special prayers on November 5, Pathanamthitta district collector has decided to impose Section 144 in Sannidhanam, Pamba, Nilakkal, and Elavunkal from November 4 to 6 to prevent any untoward incident.

District collector PB Nooh said restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting four or more people from gathering, will be in force.

According to reports, a heavy security cover with over 5000 police personnel is being deployed in the area in the wake of recent protests against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group following a Supreme Court order.

The shrine which will open at 5:30 pm on November 5 will close at 10:30 pm on November 6.

According to police officials, no one other than the devotees and media persons will be allowed to travel to Pambha from Nilackal.

The police had arrested more than 2,000 people in two days after authorities launched a crackdown on protesters who prevented women from entering the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

Read | Kerala Police cracks down on Sabarimala protesters, over 2000 arrested

On Friday, BJP observed a bandh in Pathanamthitta after the body of a missing Ayyappa devotee was recovered. While the post-mortem revealed that the man, Sivadasan (60), had died of injuries in one of his legs, the party alleged that he had died in police action against protesting devotees at Nilakkal.

BJP workers on October 30 observed a dawn-to-dusk hunger strike in front of Kerala DGP’s office here, thus intensifying its agitation against the CPI(M)-led LDF government’s crackdown on Sabarimala protesters.

BJP national president Amit Shah, who was in Kerala on 27 October had extended full support to the devotees protesting the entry of women of all ages into the shrine. The saffron party had announced that it would be taking out a ‘Rath Yatra’ from Kasaragod to Pathanamthitta, where the Sabarimala temple is located, from 8 to 13 November to “save the customs and traditions” of the hill shrine.

The Supreme Court on September 28 overturned a centuries-old practice that barred women of menstrual age (10-50 years) from entering the hill temple, where celibate deity Lord Ayyappa is worshipped.

The temple which opened its doors for a five-day monthly pooja on October 17 witnessed massive protests by various devotee groups and Hindu outfits against the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s decision to implement the apex court order without going for any review petition.

Though attempts had been made by some young women, including an activist, to enter the temple of the ‘Naishtik Brahmachari’, the eternally celibate deity, the devotees backed by priests stood their ground, saying they would not allow the tradition to be breached.

According to police sources, 12 women in the 10-50 age group were prevented from offering worship at the temple, since it opened for the monthly pooja.