Two women agree to abort pilgrimage after priest threatens to shut down Sabarimala shrine

Two women -- Kavitha Jakkal of Hyderabad-based Mojo TV and woman activist Rehana Fatima -- have agreed to return back from Sabarimala after cops convinced them about the situation. According to some reports, the temple priest threatened to stop all the rituals if women enter the shrine.

"We have told the female devotees about the situation, they will now be going back. So we are pulling pack. They have decided to return," Kerala IG Sreejith said.

The two women were just meters away from the temple, where the path is blocked by the priests and devotees, who are sitting there to stop the entry of women inside the temple.



The entry point near the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala had virtually turned into an area of confrontation. A large number of devotees opposing the entry of women of the menstrual age group.

Inspector General S Sreejith heading a team of police personnel providing security cover to the women assured the protesting devotees chanting Ayyappa mantra that they would not like to move forward to the Sannidhanam with the women, hurting the sentiments of devotees.

Amid mounting pressure, Devaswom Minster Kadakampally Surendran said in Thiruvananthapuram the activists should not try to make holy land of Lord Ayyappa a place to prove their strength.

Devotees, who have come to the temple from various parts of the country, said they would not allow the women to go to the shrine.

Police led by IG Sreejith had thrown a security ring around the women who had requested security to go to Sabarimala Sannidhanam.

On Thursday, the New Delhi-based woman journalist was stopped midway by devotees opposing the entry of women of menstrual age into the hill shrine.

The journalist accompanied by a male colleague, a foreigner, descended the hills from Marakkoottam area in the face of mounting protests.

A case has been registered against devotees who allegedly prevented her from trekking and forced her to climb down the hills.

(Inputs from PTI)