MUMBAI, INDIA, April 14, 2011 (The Daily Pioneer): A group of women activists created history on Wednesday by storming into the sanctum sanctorum and performing puja at the famous Mahalakshmi temple at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, where only men are allowed to enter the “garbha-griha”.
In an incident that created a sensation, as many as 20 activists, led by State BJP Mahila Morcha chief Neeta Kelkar, took the temple authorities by surprise by entering into the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahalakshmi temple — also known as the Ambabai temple — located near the ‘Old Palace’ of Kolhapur, at around noon.
The women activists not only ignored the persistent efforts by the priests and police personnel present to prevent them from entering the ‘garbha-griha’, where the temple management has over the years steadfastly disallowed the entry of women, but they also dressed the presiding Deity with a new saree and performed puja.
“Ours was a symbolic protest against the manner in which the temple has over the years been discriminating against women by denying them entry inside the sanctum sanctorum. We wanted this discrimination to go. That’s why we staged a protest today,” Kelkar told The Pioneer over phone from Kolhapur.
Though their puja went off smoothly, they had to jostle with the women constable posted at the entrance before the activists went inside the temple. “I explained to the police personnel that we are protesting against a tradition which is discriminatory towards women and our intention is not to defile the temple in any manner. We managed to perform puja,” Kelkar said.
According to Kelkar, the temple management explained that scripturally, the menstruation cycle that women undergo periodically is one reason to deny them entry inside the ‘garbha-griha’ [HPI note: Scriptures advise that blood attracts asuras, low-minded spirits]. She responded, “The temple management should realise that women themselves would not enter the temple premises if they were undergoing menstruation. The temple management cannot impose a blanket ban on all women to ever enter on that pretext. Like I said earlier, the ban does not apply to VIPs. For instance, Shailinitai Patil, wife of late former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil had gone inside the temple some years ago, when she was the State Revenue Minister,” she said.
According to Kelkar, women are allowed inside the temples at other “Shaktipeeths” or “Mahamantrukasthans” (abodes of the great divine mother) like Tuljapur in Osmanabad district, Mahur in Nanded district and Vani in Nashik district.