Lack of amenities at Sabarimala: TDB moves SC, seeks time to allow women in temple

New Delhi: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.

The Board, which manages the hill shrine, has cited lack of basic amenities among other things as the reason for seeking more time from the top court.

The announcement on the TDB’s move came amid mounting tension against the backdrop of the stand-off over entry of women in the 10-50 age group, traditionally barred at the shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, a celibate.

Pilgrims had said there was lack of adequate toilet facilities, causing immense difficulties especially to women and rest rooms after the floods in August that had destroyed the infrastructure.

The top court had earlier refused to stay its verdict while agreeing to hear in open court a batch of petitions seeking review of its September 28 verdict by which it had lifted the ban on entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple.

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.