#ReadyToWait: Women campaign to ‘protect Sabarimala tradition’ in Kerala

The temple is currently mired in controversy over its tradition that prevents women in their reproductive age from entering the temple.

Kochi: Days after Bombay HC lifted its ban on women’s entry into Haji Ali Dargah, a group of women in Kerala have started a Facebook campaign supporting the centuries old tradition of Sabarimala temple preventing the entry of women in their reproductive age.

The temple is currently mired in controversy over its tradition that prevents women in their reproductive age from entering the temple.

The new campaign by the women in Kerala have come in a response to the trend #RightToPray started by a national news channel.

Calling more women to post their image with the sign “ReadyToWait”, supporters of the campaign claim that no discrimination exists in the temple.

Posting her image and urging other women to join the movement, Anjali George, called for ‘customs of the native civilization to be left to the devotees of the temple’.

“This mighty nation has nurtured diversity and worshipped the feminine in all its varied forms. Remember - your nation needs you now. Post your pictures with the #ReadyToWait slogan.”

Another user, Padma Pillai wrote, “I respect Shabarimala Ayyappa's rules for darshan. Edit for more clarity: I am #readytowait till I am 55 years old, to have Shabarimala Ayyappa's darshan.”

Throughout the post, women expressed their readiness to wait till the age of 55 to visit the temple.

The women point out that the affairs and customs of the temple were for the devotees to decide and not for atheists.

Women’s rights group had earlier this year approached the Supreme Court on the temple’s practice, and the court had observed that such a tradition amounted to discrimination of women and amounted to violation of their basic rights, and deemed it constitutionally invalid.

The court has also sought the response of the state government and the temple board on the practice, and is currently on the process of deciding on the tradition.

Meanwhile, two major places of worship in Maharashtra, the Shani Shingnapur temple, and the Haji Ali Dargah, which had similar traditions, have opened their doors to women. Though the Supreme Court last week ruled that women could enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, the board of administration of the dargah plans to file an appeal against the judgement.

(This article first appeared in Deccan Chronicle)