Tension prevailed on Wednesday morning in Kerala’s Nilakkal, the main gateway to Sabarimala, after the police used force to disperse devotees opposing the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the hill shrine. Acting tough, the police, deployed in large numbers in Nilakkal, some 20 kms away from the Sabarimala hilltop, also removed a makeshift shelter erected by a protesting group Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti.
The protesting group of devotees had been staging a sit-in chanting Ayyappa mantra in the shelter in protest against the Supreme Court order permitting women of all age groups to enter the shrine. Protesting women had said no women belonging to the banned age group of 10-50 will be allowed to travel further from Nilackal and offer worship at the shrine. The temple would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly prayer during the Malayalam month of Thulam.
Here are the Live Updates
7.26 pm: Devotees enter Sabarimala temple
6.55 pm: Section 144 has been imposed in Pampa, Nilakkal, Sannidhanam and Elavungal.
5.00 pm: Portals of #SabarimalaTemple opened at 5 pm today. The devotees can offer prayers till 10.30 pm today. The portals remain open till 22nd October
4.25 pm: #WATCH: India Today journalist Mausami Singh and its crew in a police vehicle. They were attacked by the protesters at Nilakkal base camp. #SabarimalaTemple #Kerala pic.twitter.com/R7rsSBK8fx
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
4.01 pm: Activist Rahul Easwar has been arrested by from Nilakkal base camp&a non-bailable FIR has been registered against him. He is kept at Pamba police station.Easwar says to ANI ‘I didn’t hit any woman there. I was moving to the other direction. It’s a vendetta against me.
4. PM: #WATCH: Police lathi-charge and pelt stones at the protesters gathered at Nilakkal base camp, in Kerala. #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/DMC1ePz0l2
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
3 pm: Protesters block and attack a woman journalist’s car in Pathanamthitta
1:51 pm: RSS & BJP is taking double standards. On one hand, 5 advocates associated with BJP gave petition in SC over entry of women of all ages in Sabarimala temple,on the other hand,BJP is leading fight against the verdict. Now BJP trying to make it as a law&order issue: VS Sunil,Kerala Min.
1:40 pm: Kerala: Total 30 people have been arrested in Pamba, 9 yesterday and 21 today, in connection with protests against entry of women in age group 10-50 to Sabarimala Temple. Two of them got bail.
1:32 pm: Kerala: Woman devotee Madhavi with her children returning mid-day from her journey to Sabarimala Temple after facing protests. Police is also present.
Kerala: 50 people have been taken into custody in Pathanamthitta district for protesting against entry of women in age group 10 to 50 to Sabarimala temple.
1:03 pm: Kerala: Over 20 people including former Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan taken into custody in Nilakkal and Pamba for protesting against entry of women in age group 10 to 50 to Sabarimala temple.
12:48 pm: Kerela: Congress party leaders hold a peaceful protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 to Sabarimala Temple.
12:20 pm: Nilakkal: A woman Madhavi on her way to #SabarimalaTemple returned mid-way along with her relatives after facing protests.
11.50 am: Pamba: Police detain people protesting against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 women to Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple
10.40 am: Kerala: Women protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 to Sabarimala temple
10.15 am: Kerala: Protests being held near Pamba base camp against entry of women in the age group 10-50 to Sabarimala Temple
9.15 am: Tamil Nadu: Pilgrims begin arriving at Nilakkal, the base camp of #SabarimalaTemple as the portals of the temple are all set to open today.
9.00 am: Kerala: Total 1000 security personnel, 800 men and 200 women, deployed at Nillekal and Pampa base. 500 security personnel deployed at Sannidhanam. Portals of the Sabarimala Temple will be opened today.
8.30 am: Devotees of Lord Ayyappa who have gathered at Nilakkal, the base camp of Sabarimala Temple as the gate of the temple is all set to open today, say, “We are facing problems as administration is not giving clear answers on when doors will open.”
