Nilakal, Kerala: Conservative Hindu groups prevented women from entering Sabarimala temple on Wednesday, in defiance of the Supreme Court which says a centuries-long ban at the holy site is illegal.
For centuries, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala has banned women of age between 10 to 50, but that was judged illegal by the Supreme Court which ruled last month that it infringed the right to worship.
Kerala’s leftist government pledged to uphold the ruling and deployed some 500 police, including 100 women officers, to the site.
Kerala’s industry minister E.P. Jayarajan told reporters that 10 journalists, five devotees and 15 police officers were attacked by protesters and 10 buses were damaged.
Police have registered cases against more than 50 people.
