Clashes at Sabarimala after woman reaches near temple, cameraman hurt
The woman identified as Lalitha, was forced to show her Aadhaar card to prove her age and police confirmed that she is 52 years old.
Sabarimala: On early Tuesday morning, a video journalist was injured after protesting devotees targeted media persons at Sabarimala. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Sannidhanam or the inner courtyard after reports of a woman devotee, suspected to be in menstrual age, tried to enter the temple.
Kerala: Amrita TV cameraman Biju, injured during protests at #SabarimalaTemple over the entry of a woman devotee pic.twitter.com/ZbOqsbXS6u
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2018
The police confirmed that 52-year-old Lalithaa, from Thrissur had come to the temple with her son. She was forced to show her Aadhaar card to prove her age and police said she is 52 years old.
Her attempt to get inside the shrine was foiled and she was shifted to a police camp.
#Kerala: Lalitha (Pic 1: in the centre), a 52-year-old woman devotee from Thrissur, whose entry to #SabarimalTemple was opposed by protesters, offered prayers at the temple under police protection. She had come along with her family. pic.twitter.com/RdJeWflhk4
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2018
The protesters later apologised to her and lead her to hilltop temple for a darshan.
"I am not afraid, I want darshan of Lord Ayyappa," Lalithaa told reporters.
On Monday, a 25-year-old woman, heading for shrine with her husband and two children were stopped at Pamba, the base camp from where devotees start the trek to the shrine.
A police official said, "We have information a woman on way to the temple but nobody has approached us so far for security."
The Sabarimala shrine opened on Monday for the second time for a two-day special prayer. The temple was opened for Sree Chithira Attathirunal pooja, an offering to honour the last king of the erstwhile Travancore dynasty Sree Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma.
Read: ​30-year-old woman seeks protection to enter Sabarimala temple as door opens
Sabarimala virtually turned into a fortress with hundreds of police personnel, including armed commandos, dotting the place where surveillance cameras and mobile phone jammers were installed.