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Are There Temples Which Have Banned Women From Entering Inside? Read About Five Such Temples

We might have heard of temples that do not allow men to enter their premises. Kanya Kumari temple does not strictly allow men inside.

On the contrary, there are temples which do not allow women to enter them. Although it strictly goes against our stand against gender inequality, this tradition goes on uninterruptedly in these temples.

restrict women

Belief and faith in the customs prevents people from going against the norms set by the locals and temple authorities. Let us see which temples have banned women from the scene.

Lord Ayappa Temple At Sabarimala: Although Lord Ayyappa temple does not restrict certain age groups, those in the 10-50-year age group are barred from entering the premises of Ayyappa temple.

It is because women in the 10-50 years belong to the menstruating age group. An attempt to change this practice was taken up by the Supreme Court but the temple authorities have firmly put their foot down as this tradition is being practiced since several centuries.

India is a democratic country no doubt. Hence the Apex judicial body has firmly expressed its opinion that such traditions question the basic premise of gender equality between men and women. But still this question remains unanswered till date.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala: The vaults of this temple cannot be approached by the ladies. Although padmanabhaswamy can be worshipped at the devotee homes, women devotees are not supposed to enter the premises of the temple dedicated to Padmanabhaswamy.

As per news channels, women officers are also not allowed to enter the temple vaults as it is taboo for them. When a female executive attempted to enter this area to just set up an inventory, she was stopped duly by the temple authorities.

However, the temples website has its own restrictions which always insist on a special dress code for women and men which is in contradiction with what is actually going on in the temple.

There have been, in several other cases. several unfortunate incidents that happened due to flouting the rules of the temple.

Lord Kartikeya Temple, Pushkar: Lord Kartikeya is a fierce deity who does not like women to visit its premises. Women who have been there have been cursed and not actually blessed in any way. Hence people have understood this and laid a ban on women for entering this temple.

Patbausi Satra, Assam: The temple authorities have a strict set of rules that say that women in the menstruating age are unclean because they menstruate. Hence the temple becomes impure if such women enter the temple.

This practice was questioned in 2010, by JB Patnaik, the governer of Assam, with a few women to show that no harm is caused when a woman enters this temple. But soon things recoiled and the ban was strictly imposed.

Bhavani Deeksha Mandapam In Vijayawada: There was a priest who passed away, leaving his priestly duties for his daughter to continue. She was Jayanti Vimala by name, and was appointed to the post of priestess as she did not have any brother to succeed her father as hereditary priest.

Despite all these permissions, she was finally not let inside the sanctum of the temple as it happens with any other woman who tries entering it.

Story first published: Monday, June 5, 2023, 23:23 [IST]
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