After reports claimed that a 47-year-old Sri Lankan woman offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, her husband clarified that she did not offer prayers. Reports said Sasikala trekked to the Sabarimala temple around 9.30pm on Thursday, leading to minor protests.
Her husband, Saravanamaran, later clarified, "Though we trekked to the temple with police (in mufti), the cops backtracked after seeing the media at Sabaripeedam." Saravanamaran was then taken to Pamba police station. Manorama News reported that Sasikala was sent back under heavy security cover. Further details were not immediately available.
The reports about the Sri Lankan woman's visit come a day after two Kerala women in their 40s offered prayers at the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday. Kanakadurga and Bindu—aged 44 and 42—visited Sabarimala three months after the Supreme Court's historic judgement lifted the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.
As the news of the entry spread, protests erupted at several places, with rightwing activists blocking highways and forcing closure of shops and markets. A Sabarimala Karma Samiti worker named Chandran Unnithan who was taking part in a protest rally died of injuries sustained in stone pelting.
The Sabarimala Karma Samiti observed a hartal on Thursday, during which widespread violence was reported, leaving several people, including policemen, injured. Media personnel were also attacked.
