Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan has reiterated the board’s stance that the ritualistic traditions and practices at Sabarimala should be protected.
When pointed out the Devaswom Minister’s reported statement that the government was for permitting entry of women of all ages to Sabarimala, the TDB chief said it was inappropriate to comment anything on the basis of media reports.
Firm resolve
However, he said the board had taken a strong resolve to protect the tradition and practices at Sabarimala, including restricted entry for women in a particular age group.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan said it was unjust to portray Sabarimala as a place of worship where entry of women had been totally banned. He said the restriction was only for women in the age group of 10 to 50 years and that too strictly on the basis of the ritualistic tradition at the Ayyappa temple, where the presiding deity is considered as a persistent bachelor (Naishtik Brahmachari). Mr. Gopalakrishnan told The Hindu even the judiciary was unlikely to stand against this ritualistic tradition at Sabarimala, where women devotees offered worship in large numbers.
