India supreme court has cancled the ban over menstruating women and has made the menstruating women allowed to the temples, on Friday.
Sabarimala Temple, one of the biggest religious site of Hindus, doesn’t allow women of all ages. They opparators of the temple think that, the Hindu god Kartikeya curses women who enter the temple, instead of blessing them.
In some Hindu communities, menstruating women are regarded as unclean, face restrictions and in a few cases outright bans on women of child-bearing age from entering certain places.
The Chief Justice of India said after lifting the ban, “Restrictions put by Sabarimala temple can’t be held as essential religious practice.”
Chief justice Dipak Misra said patriarchal beliefs were not more important than equality in devotion.
“Religion cannot be the cover to deny women the right to worship. To treat women as children of a lesser God is to blink at constitutional morality,” he said.
According to NDTV, Kerala’s government will make the temple more accommodating for female devotees, by separating washrooms and baths and increasing the number of female police officers at the site.
A women’s rights activist, Chhavi Methi, hailed the court verdict, but said its acceptance by temple authorities remained to be seen.
“I am doubtful the temple authorities would take it in the right spirit. Women would accept it, but its implementation might pose a problem,” she said.
Justice Indu Malhotra said, “Religious practices cannot solely be tested on the basis of the right to equality, the court should not ordinarily interfere in issues of deep religious sentiments.”
> Puza Sarker Snigdha
