The year began with news of two women who braved the crowd and protestors and tried to enter Sabarimalai Temple. The two women named Bindu and Kanakadurga had reportedly begun their climb to the temple around midnight and had allegedly reached the man temple early next morning with police by their side. With this, they became national news with so many reporting their attempt. This has led to some repercussions too.

According to reports, Bindu Thankam Kalyani, a Dalit activist, has been facing harassment. This trickled down to her family members facing difficulties. Recently her 11-year-old daughter was denied admission in a school because of Bindu’s trip to Sabarimalai. Bindu in the past was also told that to vacate her residence by her landlord. She had first attempted to enter Sabarimalai in October last year but faced tons of abuse and harassment. She was evicted from her rented house in Kozhikode, and harassed at her friend’s house.

Her 11-year-old daughter now faced harassment at school often with students and teachers hounding her for what her mother did.

Bindu’s mission to climb the temple defies what most of the priests and devotees subscribe to. The priests believe that the ban on women between 10 and 50 years should stay as the deity Lord Ayyappa is celibate. However, on September 28, the Supreme Court overturned the ban thus making it possible for women below 50 to enter the temple. However, post the lifting of the ban on women, there have been massive protests in Kerala with it even turning violent.

On January 1, 2019, lakhs and lakhs of women formed a ‘woman wall’ as a counter to the Sangh Parivar campaign against the entry of women of all ages at Sabarimalai temple following the Supreme Court verdict. CM Pinrayi Vijayan shared that the wall was to show that women of Kerala choose progress over misogynistic values.

Read: 2 Women Enter Sabarimala Temple!!!