Ranragini Bhumata Brigade (RBB) has sent a letter to Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust (TDT) demanding that women must be given equal access to the temple by March 7. They have threatened to force their way into the temple if their demand is not met. The Trimbakeshwar temple in the Nashik district is considered very holy among Hindus because it is one among the 12 jyotilings. All the 13 akhadas of sadhus and mahants have their ashrams here.
This is the second temple targeted by the women’s organisation after its partial success in the Shani Shingnapur temple case.
Though RBB activists could not force their way in the sanctum of Shingnapur Temple on Republic Day, they brought the issue into the open, with the chief minister calling for a discussion.
In the letter, RBB president Trupti Desai has pointed out that even in the Kashi Vishveshwar Temple, which is considered to be the greatest among all the 12 jyotilings both men and women are allowed into the inner sanctum. She questions why the same practice is not followed at the Trimbakeshwar temple.
“Mahadev is described as Shiv-Parvati and also as Ardhnarishwar. Hence women should be considered to be representatives of Goddess Parvati and should get equal justice everywhere. However, in the Trimbakeshwar Temple only men are allowed inside the inner sanctum during fixed timings,” the letter argued.
TDT trustee Lalita Shinde confirmed that the Devasthan had received the letter and were working on it. “One and a half months ago, the chairperson had constituted a committee to discuss the entry of women. The committee was to study history, tradition and other aspects, and formulate a solution. However the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is very small and it could be difficult to fit all people inside,” she told The Asian Age. Ms Shinde, who is also a former municipal president of Trimbakeshwar, further said that personally she had to fight it out in the Supreme Court to become the first female trustee of the temple. “This is no easy task. A dharmasabha should be called to decide this issue. Traditions are not easily broken,” she said.
