Kerala News

Kerala's hilltop shrine Sabarimala became the site of huge protests for the third day today. The BJP went on the warpath following the arrest of a leader, Congress leaders are on way to the hill shrine, saying they want to check the security arrangements, and a woman, who was forced to stop her journey midway last month, is making another attempt.

Sabarimala Temple: The BJP in Kerala has declared Sunday as a day of protest, a day after a party leader was detained while he was on his way to the hill-top shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala on Saturday. The BJP is blocking highways in the state, sources said.

A 46-year-old woman, who had made a vain bid to trek to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala when it was opened last month, Saturday tried her luck once again, but had to beat a hasty retreat after protesters prevented her

A BJP leader has been detained after he was stopped from heading to the hill-top shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala on Saturday evening. Kerala BJP's general secretary K Surendran and his party workers were blocked at Nilakkal base camp and asked to return. When Mr Surendran refused, he was taken away in a police vehicle. His detention was described as a "preventive measure" by the police.

A CPI(M) leaders son and his journalist daughter-in law were attacked allegedly by protesters trying to enforce a shutdown Saturday, the police said.

The Sabarimala temple was re-opened to devotees late last evening in the midst of continuing protests in and around the hilltop shrine. Today, a group in Kerala has called for a state-wide shutdown over the arrest of Hindu Aikya Vedi KP Sasikala, amid protests over allowing women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala temple nestled in the Western Ghats.

Amid tight security and a shutdown call by a right-wing group following the arrest of its Kerala chief, thousands of devotees trekked to Sabarimala and offered prayers to Lord Ayyappa. The hill-top shrine opened for the third time on Friday since the Supreme Court order for 62-day-long Mandala Pooja-Magaravilaku annual pilgrimage. Lakhs of devotees are expected to throng the shrine during this period. Over 500 women between the ages of 10 and 50 years have already registered, but no woman of menstrual age attempted the trek today. KP Sasikala, the state president of Hindu Aikya Vedi, was arrested past midnight for trying to create law and order problems, police said. "You break law, you will be booked," tweeted Kerala minister Thomas Isaac.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala shrine on Friday decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its order allowing women in the menstrual age to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Kerala High Court on Friday denied anticipatory bail to model and activist Rehana Fathima who had almost made it to the Sabarimala temple in October after the Supreme Court ruling lifted a ban on women of menstruating age entering the hill shrine.

Activist Trupti Desai, who wants to enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple in defiance of a decades-old custom on women of menstrual age, says she has been asked by the police to return from the Kochi airport due to hundreds of protesters blocking it since she she landed 13 hours ago early this morning. The hilltop shrine opened at 5 pm today for a two-month-long puja in which lakhs of devotees and tourists are expected.

As the Sabarimala temple doors are set to open to devotees again, Kerala braces for more protests. Early this morning, activist Trupti Desai arrived at the Kochi airport and faced stiff protests by BJP activists who had gathered there along with several protesters.

Danger marks in saffron colour were found drawn on the office doors of noted orator and thinker Sunil P Elayidom, Kerala Police said. Mr Elayidom strongly advocates implementation of Supreme Court verdict allowing entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala temple.

A few flights were rescheduled, some cancelled as the international airport in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram halted its operations for five hours Wednesday night to enable the bi-annual centuries-old ceremonial procession of the famous Padmanabha Swamy temple to pass through the runway.

The Congress and the BJP walked out of the all-party meeting on Sabarimala called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday. The Chief Minister's meeting was aimed at discussing the row over the entry of women of menstruating ages at the Sabarimala temple, ahead of the two-month long annual 'Mandala Makkaravillakku' or the pilgrimage season, set to start on November 17.

Caught in a row between two factions of a church, a 94-year-old man, who died 10 days ago, was finally laid to rest early yesterday, amid heavy police protection.