This story is from April 27, 2016

No woman sought entry to Trimbak sanctum in a week

It's all quiet on the Trimbakeshwar front these days with no woman seeking entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the ancient temple ever since right-to-pray activists Vanita Gutte and Trupti Desai entered its core area a week ago.
No woman sought entry to Trimbak sanctum in a week
Nashik: It's all quiet on the Trimbakeshwar front these days with no woman seeking entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the ancient temple ever since right-to-pray activists Vanita Gutte and Trupti Desai entered its core area a week ago.
Trustee Satyapriya Shukla, who represents the worshippers inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, said, "Not a single woman has approached us seeking entry into the sanctorum of the temple ever since the activists came here and worshipped Lord Shiva.
The trust is, however, bound to allow the women devotees into the sanctorum between 6 am and 7 am everyday."
On April 21, Gutte and two members of her Pune-based Swarajya Mahila Sanghatana came to Trimbakeshwar, entered the temple's sanctum sanctorum amid heavy police protection and, for the first time, worshipped the presiding deity in what marked a departure of over 500 years of tradition. The following day, Desai, the head of the Bhumata Brigade, also from Pune, entered the sanctum sanctorum and worshipped Lord Shiva.
Kailas Ghule, a senior trustee of the temple, said, "We would like to share over 20 members of the Swarajya Mahila Sanghatana had arrived in Trimbakeshwar on April 21 to enter the sanctorum. But only three of them, including their leader Gutte, entered the core area," said Kailas Ghule, a senior trustee of the temple.
"The similar situation was on April 22 when Desai entered the the sanctorum with three of her supporters. Other members of the Bhumata Brigade stayed away from the sanctorum. This shows that most women do not want to enter the sanctorum," he told TOI.
"Hundreds of devotees are coming to Trimbakeshwar from faraway distant places in both the northern and the southern parts of the country. They are being made aware about the new change in the system. But nobody seems to be keen on entering the sanctorum," Ghule said.

The trust has made it official that women will be allowed to enter the sanctorum between 6am and 7am every day. A section of Trimbakeshwar residents has already moved the Supreme Court against the recent Bombay high court order allowing women's entry to the core areas of temples across the state. The apex court is scheduled to hear the case on June 21.
Till then, the trustees would not stop any women devotee from entering into the sanctorum.
"We had already said that the fight over the right to enster the sanctum sanctorum of the ancient temple was nothing but a publicity stunt of Desai and other activists. Neither the women here in Trimbakeshwar nor those coming from distance places have so far shown any interest to enter the sanctum sanctorum ever since the two activists did no," said Kalpana Mundhada, a residet of Trimbakeshwar.
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About the Author
Chaitanya Deshpande

Chaitanya Deshpande is Principal Correspondent at The Times of India, Nagpur. He has a PG degree in English literature and Mass communication. Chaitanya covers public health, medical issues, medical education, research in the fields of medicine, microbiology, biotechnology. He also covers culture, fine arts, theatre, folk arts, literature, and life. Proficient in Marathi and Hindi along with English, Chaitanya loves music, theatre and literature of all three languages.

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