Thiruvananthapuarm: Within an hour the crucial verdict on Sabarimala by the Supreme Court will come out. The court will pronounce its judgment in on 65 pleas it received since its earlier verdict on 28 September, 2018. The apex court had permitted the entry of women of menstruating age to enter Sabarimala temple, against the ancient traditions practiced in the temple.
The 5-judge Constitutional bench, which will give the judgment includes the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi and Justices R. F. Nariman, D. Y. Chandrachud, A. M. Khanwilkar, and Indu Malhotra.
The parties in the case includes the Nair Service Society, the Tantri of the temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the administration of the temple, and the state government.
The earlier verdict on 28 September last year, which permitted women entry, was not an unanimous verdict and was passed with a 4:1 ratio. Interestingly, the lone woman judge, Indu Malhotra, gave a different judgment in support of the traditions of the temple.
Huge protests were witnessed in Kerala after the verdict came out with common people both men and women and young and old taking to the streets. Hindus from across the strata of the social life of Kerala was against the verdict of the Supreme Court. Massive yet peaceful protests filled the towns of the state.
However, the communist government tried to break the protests and tried to forcefully take women to the holy shrine. This was resisted by the devotees, which led to a brutal crackdown against the peaceful devotees.
As the verdict comes closer every Ayyappa devotee is praying to the Lord for a positive outcome.
