A 400-year-old “tradition” is finally broken. Shani Shingnapur temple has been forced to open its doors to women devotees after a long court battle and protests. It is a huge victory for women in India who have been denied entry into several temples and other places of worship for centuries. The bigger question is, will it force other famous temples in the country to follow suit.
Sabarimala Ayyapa temple in Kerala does not allow women of menstruating age into the shrine. After Kannada film actor Jayamala made a startling revelation ten years ago that she had entered the temple without the knowledge of authorities, several women groups demanded that the temple must end this discriminatory practice.
The matter is now being heard by the Supreme Court. The temple authorities are defending the no entry in the name of age old tradition.
Rahul Eswar, grandson of Sabarimala tantri said there will be no change in the ban on women entry policy at the Ayyappa temple. He said “Shani temple is a victory for the media campaign. Sabarimala is an entirely different issue. There is no discrimination at Sabarimala. We call it differentiation”.
But, activists feel Sabarimala temple cannot resist the entry of women for a long time as the winds of change are blowing across the nation. They say that women of all age groups be allowed to visit Sabarimala in the near future. They are eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court verdict which can strengthen their resolve.
Women are also not allowed inside the Annappa Swamy temple at Dharmasthala in Karnataka, Tryambakeshwar temple at Nasik in Maharashtra and Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai.
How long can these places of worship keep women outside? Shani Shingnapur victory shows that women have an upper hand and soon they may gain legitimate entry into these places.
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