Battle in Kerala
With all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala at stake in the second phase of polling tomorrow, the electoral drama unfolds with its usual intensity, underscoring the unique political landscape of the state.
More than 500 women belonging to the traditionally barred age group of 10 to 50 years have registered online for ‘darshan’ at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, when it opens for the Mandala-Makkaravillakku pilgrim season starting from November 17.
The bookings have been made through the police online portal, which got underway from October 30, said the police. The women registered after logging into www.sabarimalaq.com.
The figure assumes significance as the Sabarimala temple had witnessed frenzied devotees opposing the entry of women belonging to the menstrual age, in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all ages to offer prayers at the hill shrine.
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According to the Travancore Devasom Board, close to 3.5 lakh pilgrims had till Friday booked for ‘darshan’ through the Kerala Police online facility. They included 550 women aged between 10 and 50 years, the temple custodians said.
To regulate and streamline the devotees, the online registration designed and developed by the police was opened to weed out troublemakers who have created disturbances in the last two months in and around the temple.
Read | Sabarimala temple protests ‘unacceptable’: Kerala HC declines bail plea of arrested man
Since booking on the police site is free, there is no payment gateway. Such payments using credit cards would have helped in validating the identity of the person making the e-bookings, he added.
The official said though a request had been made to the government to permit charging of Rs 10 as registration fee while making the bookings, this proposal had not received the government nod till now.
Both temple authorities and protesters stopped 15 women from the 10-50 age group from praying at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in October and November.
Ahead of the next pilgrimage season, the Supreme Court will on November 13 hear a batch of review petitions filed against its September verdict.
(With agency inputs)
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