Sabarimala temple chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru threatened to shut the shrine and hand over the keys to the temple management if women in the menstruating age climb up the 18 steps of the temple. According to him, the step has been decided only after consulting with the Royal family of Pandalam.
“I don’t have more to say. I am with the devotees, I can’t do puja cheating them. All the rituals have been conducted till Friday morning,” said Sabarimala temple chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru.
We have decided to lock the temple and handover the keys & leave. I stand with the devotees. I do not have any other option: Kandararu Rajeevaru, #SabarimalaTemple head priest #Kerala (file pic) pic.twitter.com/6LilPOx9qr
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
Earlier two women attempted to enter the Sabarimala temple on Friday with police. However, seeing the worsening situation and fearing violent turn to the protest, the women returned back. Rehana Fatima, one of the two women was attacked earlier in the morning. The priest too had warned IG Sreesanth that the women should not be allowed in the main temple.
Kerala: The house of woman activist Rehana Fatima in Kochi was vandalised by unidentified miscreants earlier today. She had gone up to the #SabarimalaTemple this morning under police protection & returned midway after a meeting with Kerala IG. pic.twitter.com/OYvCG2mvmb
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
Also read: Women skip Sabarimala temple after huge protests
“Sabarimala is not a tourist spot, only devotees go there. Right now what Kerala police is doing is wrong. Had there been our govt we would’ve handled the situation better. We would’ve talked to devotees, there would’ve been no violence,” said Congress leader R Chennithala.
Sabarimala is not a tourist spot, only devotees go there. Right now what Kerala police is doing is wrong. Had there been our govt we would’ve handled the situation better. We would’ve talked to devotees, there would’ve been no violence: R Chennithala, Congress #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/IT9wdDfdvA
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
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In a never-before move, around 30 employees attached to the temple tantri and the chief priest went on protest as they stopped their rituals and sat down in front of the hallowed 18 steps leading to the sanctum santorum and sang Ayyappa hymns after they heard that the two women were about to reach the shrine.
