Thiruvananthapuram: Reports say that around 319 women belonging to the age group of 15 to 45 years have registered themselves online for darshan at the Sabarimala temple this pilgrimage season. However, none of the registered women hails from Kerala.
The online registration is called ‘virtual queue facility’ for this year’s Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival. It was opened on 10 November and as many as 8 lakh devotees have made use of this facility.
The highest number of women registered for darshan and who falls in the age group of 15 to 45 hails from Andhra Pradesh, followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
However, the Kerala police will stop these women devotees from entering the Ayyappa temple and will be send back. The authorities say that many women who come for darshan are not aware about the traditions and issues of the temple.
The deity of Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappan, sits at the hilltop shrine in its celibate form. According to traditions, women of menstruating age are barred from visiting the shrine, in respect to the wishes of the deity.
