Prohibitory orders in Pathanamthitta district were extended till 5 January ahead of the opening of the Sabarimala temple on Sunday.
The temple is opening for the popular ‘Makaravilakku’ season which will last till 20 January.
The extension of prohibitory orders comes in the wake of continuous protests by Hindu devotees ever since the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women of all ages, including the banned age group of 10 to 50 years, into the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Only recently, 11 women from the previously banned age group were forced to turn back from Pamba by protesters.
The 11 women, all from Tamil Nadu, had come to Pamba base camp ready for a trek to the shrine to pray to Lord Ayyappa. The women were adamant that they won’t return without offering prayers.
Their arrival sparked a fresh round of protests by devotees prompting the police to increase security in the area.
The temple opened for the first phase of the current season, referred to as ‘mandala pooja’, on 15 November and closed on 27 December.
The temple will reopen at 5 pm today for the ‘makaravilakku’ season, considered as the most important season in the Sabarimala temple calendar. The most important day falls on 14 January. On this day, the sighting of the celestial light on the horizon takes place, which is considered be auspicious.
Ever since the verdict, around three dozen women from the hitherto banned age group have tried and failed to go up the pathway leading to the temple, following protest from the believers.
To cool down things and to ensure safety and security for the pilgrims, the Pathanamthitta district authorities have been consistently extending the prohibitory orders in and around Sabarimala.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by the CPI-M has been trying to implement the apex court’s verdict even as the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and several Hindu groups are up in arms against it.