All eyes are back on the Supreme Court again, as a batch of review petitions on the Sabarimala issue comes up before it on November 13.
The schedule was announced this morning after the temple closed following monthly rituals, capping five days of tumult as a few women of the restricted age group tried to enter the shrine amidst stiff opposition by devotees.
The temple reopens on November 5 and closes the next day and opens again on November 17 for the annual Mandala Puja that will last until December 27.
Given this, the Supreme Court’s stand on the review petitions assumes significance. During the five days the temple was open, the temple and the neighbourhood saw among the largest mobilisation of the faithful under the auspices of the BJP-NDA and the Sangh Parivar which ‘pledged to conserve rituals and traditions.’
The police were deployed in force but had a tough time controlling the crowd. The women of the restricted age, at least one of whom managed to get within 200 metres of the sanctum sanctorum, were prevented from entering the temple.
While the State government has reiterated that it would exhaust all options to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage for the faithful, the BJP-NDA has said that it would do what it takes to conserve culture and traditions at the temple. The Congress has taken the position that while it would side with the faithful, its campaign would take a more activist approach to make its intent clear.
On Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State BJP president PS Sreedharan Pillai did not show any signs of budging from their respective stance even as the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala, filed a status update report to the High Court.
It said that a grave law and order situation had prevailed over Sabarimala and its immediate precincts, as well as major transit points on the pilgrim route when the temple was open for five days from October 18.