The Supreme Court decided to refer the Sabarimala case to a larger, seven-judge bench.
Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision to refer the Sabarimala case to a larger bench, the Lord Ayyappa shrine is all set to open on Saturday, 16 November.
Meanwhile, in a flip-flop from its earlier stand, the Kerala government pointed to “grey areas” in the latest Supreme Court order and said women desirous of visiting Sabarimala should get a “court order.”
The Ayyappa temple in Pathanamthitta district had last year witnessed violent protests by right wing outfits and devotees over the 28 September 2018 order of the apex court which allowed women of all age groups, including those in the menstruating age, to offer prayers at the hill shrine.
On Thursday, 14 November, the Supreme Court had announced that a larger, seven-judge bench will re-examine various religious issues, including the entry of women at the Sabarimala temple and mosques, and the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
