The Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages, including those of menstruating age (10-50 years), entry into the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala has not gone down well with a majority of the Hindu Malayalees living across the world. While the protesters have hit the streets in Kerala, those living outside the country are also holding peaceful protests against the Sabarimala order and vociferously making their arguments heard. In Nigeria, a protest rally was held a few days ago, and the community is eagerly awaiting the fate of review petitions filed against the SC order when the apex court takes them up for hearing on November 13.

Living thousands of miles away from home, the devotees of Lord Ayyappan in the Nigerian city of Lagos are upset. The Ayyappa Bhaktha Mandal, Nigeria, held a protest rally on the Ayyappa temple campus in Lagos on October 27.

Nearly 3,000 Malayalee families call Lagos their home, and most of the Hindus among them are against the directive of the Supreme Court, though a small chunk do speak for gender equality in this matter.

Most of the women this writer spoke to are not ready to enter the shrine until they turn 50.

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For Dhanya Arun, a science teacher at the Indian Language School, Lagos, her decision is a scientific one. “There is science behind every ritual, but with the passage of time, rituals become customs. In the past, during their periods, women used to abstain from entering the kitchen, where God’s idol was also placed. It wasn’t because of any taboo, but to give their bodies a chance to rest. They were given meals consisting of plantain and jaggery, both rich in iron. But now things have changed and in nuclear families we can’t afford take breaks so we do all the chores, but we can surely avoid going uphill to pray to Lord Ayyappa,” she says.

Reasoning further, Dhanya says: @If I think it in a spiritual way, I believe, when you are between the age group of 10 and 50 years, your mind is also not ready to scale those mountains. If a woman like me, in her 30s, wishes to pay obeisance to Lord Ayyappan, her mind would keep wandering back to her home and her kids. But a 50+ woman can undertake the journey with only God in mind as she would have already fulfilled her responsibilities.”

But what about the gender equality?

“Why do women want to prove that they aren’t less than men? Men and women are different. Why torture your body and scale a mountain only in the name of equality?” Dhanya questions.

And the men agree.

Sheeju Prabhakaran, who runs a placement company and is the executive committee member of Ayyappa Bhaktha Mandal here, says this issue has been politicised. “There is nothing political about it (entry of women to Sabarimala temple), it’s all about our traditions and our customs. We don’t have any problem with women entering the shrine, we just don’t want women of a particular age group to go there. Our belief system is being corrupted,” he says.

Talking her heart out, Prabhakarans’ wife Kanchana Sheeju, who is also his business partner, too swears by traditions. “How can we change something that has been going on for more than 100 years? Going to temple is not like going to a theatre that anyone can enter at their own sweet will. If you want to go to the shrine, you need to follow a 41-day varatham, which is very hard to follow. I don’t think it’s possible for women of this age to follow the rituals. When their menstruation cycle starts during this time, the fast would be broken. Moreover, I want to keep my traditions alive. I don’t want to force my children to follow our culture, I want to be a role model for them. I want them to understand and follow our traditions. So I would like to wait until I turn 50 to go and worship at the Sabarimala temple,” she asserts.

For Smitha Santosh too, it’s all about tradition. “What makes us unique is our culture. And now, even the Western world has started following us. Why do we need to follow them? The issue is not about the sanctity of the shrine, I believe why not take rest when your body demands so? Why go to a crowded place after scaling the hill when you actually should be resting. I believe God resides in our heart. And if you so want to visit the temple, go to other temples, why just Sabarimala,” says Smitha, who works as an accountant in Lebanese company.

Some, however, disagree to this line of argument.

“If women can work with us in offices, fly planes, run businesses, then why do you want to stop her from entering the God’s abode,” asks a man, adding: “I believe women in this age group are the most productive, in every sense of the word, and their energy levels too are at the highest (at this age). If they can do everything else, why can’t they go to a temple? I am hopeful that our judicial system will come to the rescue of the women. Moreover, at this juncture, when India is turning into a rising global power, it becomes all the more pertinent to provide a level playing field to half of its population.”

Such voices are however clearly outnumbered by those against the apex court ruling. And maybe that’s the reason this man in his 40s does not want to be identified as he airs his views.

It now remains to be seen what the Supreme Court decides on the review petitions filed against its September order, the hearing for which is listed for November 13.

Meanwhile, the Kerala temple that is the center of all attention now opens on November 5, and the Pathanamthitta district administration has imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in and around Sabarimala anticipating law and order problems.

(Author Charu Rishi is a freelance writer living in Lagos)