Women’s attempt to enter temple foiled

The Bhumata Brigade’s march towards Nashik, to allegedly have darshan in Trimbakeshwar temple, was stopped in Sinnar tehsil town of Nashik on Monday evening and members were released later.

Activists, including president Trupti Desai, were detained at Nandur Shingote village, which borders Sangamner tehsil of Ahmednagar, on the Nashik-Pune state highway.

About 100 women boarded vehicles at 8.30 am from Nehru stadium gate, Swargate in Pune on Monday morning. Similarly 100 women from Mumbai, Dhule, Ahmednagar and 100 women from Nashik were slated to meet them in Nashik, from where they would have moved towards Trimbakeshwar.

The vehicles were stopped near Nandur Shingota, which is under the Wavi police station jurisdiction, on the highway and the activists alighted. A defiant Ms Desai criticised the CM and PM and asked, “When will women be given equal rights ” Additional Superintendent of Police Prashant Mohite said that the activists were detained. “We are getting their names and only then can we mention the exact number of detained persons,” Mr Mohite stated.

Meanwhile tension was brewing in Trimbakeshwar, as the entire town appeared to be united in its opposition to Bhumata’s demand that women be allowed to take darshan from the temple Garbhgruh (sanctum sanctorum).

Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, which is the highest body of all sadhus in the world; Purohit Sangh, which represents the priests officiating at Trimbakeshwar, and local women lent their weight to the opposition by Hindu organisations.

Last month, the Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust (STDT) through a written reply to Bhumata’s letter stated that it could not allow any women in the Garbhgruh, considering its ancient traditions.

A heavy police cordon with barricades was thrown over the town to thwart any attempt by women to slip in the Garbhgruh. This is the second agitation by Bhumata, which had first demanded darshan from the holy platform of Shri Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar. The activists were detained and sent back on Republic Day.