GREETINGS

Swamiji:

There are three aspects to this issue 1. Tradition 2. Practicality 3. Politics
Sabarimala unlike other Sastha temples has Ayyappa as ” nyshtikabrahmachari” and hence women of a certain age are not allowed there as part of tradition. Just as Muslim women don’t go to mosques or Christian women are not allowed to become priests, tradition is part of a community’s existence and does not need a logical explanation for being that way.
On the practicality end, a strict 41 day vrutham is part of Sabarimala pilgrimage. It is not possible for women to do it as prescribed. Hence the restriction.
On the political side, why is a young male Muslim lawyer based in Delhi so concerned about getting women into Sabarimala. If he is asserting equal rights, he should first ask the court to allow entry for his Muslim sisters in the mosques. Hindus should understand it is a ploy to divide them into two fighting groups….. People who are for allowing women, and people who are against it. What happened to Hindu women all these years because they did not go to Sabarimala. They are permitted to go before puberty and after menopause. The court only asked the opinion of the concerned people on this issue. It is upto the Hindu community to decide what they want to do with their temples and its traditions. Hari Om.