Women of all ages allowed entry to Sabarimala temple: Supreme Court

On 28 September, 2018, The Supreme Court paved the way for the entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala.

The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates the rights of Hindu women. It said religion is a way of life basically to link life with divinity.

The CJI said devotion cannot be subjected to discrimination and patriarchal notion cannot be allowed to trump equality in devotion.

Justice Malhotra, in her dissenting judgement, said that issues which have deep religious connotation should not be tinkered with to maintain a secular atmosphere in the country.