Trupti Desai's fight earned women the right to enter the inner sanctums of the Shani Shingnapur Temple, the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple and the Haji Ali Dargah. Her next target is Sabarimala in Kerala. Aditi Phadnis reports.
'Today is the Constitution Day and on this day, we will go to Sabarimala temple as it is our right'
"Today, I entered Haji Ali Dargah. I went till the point where women were allowed to go and offered prayers. The police were helpful this time. This is a fight for gender equality," Desai said after offering prayers.
Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai on Thursday took her movement for gender equality to the famous Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai but stopped short of going into the shrine.
Holding placards bearing pictures of Lord Ayyappa and chanting his hymns, the protesters marched through the busy roads of Kochi, the state's commercial hub, after launching the stir from the famed Shiva temple there.
The Kerala government dubbed Desai's attempt to visit Sabarimala as a 'conspiracy'.
The women activists were also detained on Monday while heading to the temple and were later released.
Desai, president of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, has been batting for women's entry into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
'We will soon come back to Kerala to visit Sabarimala but we will not declare it in advance and come'
Desai, along with three of her colleagues took darshan of the 'shivlinga' in the 'garbha gruha' around 6 am and left after nearly 15 minutes.
Haji Arafat said that the attempt by Desai to enter the Haji Ali Dargah is a conspiracy meant to disturb Mumbai's peaceful environment.
Notwithstanding the "advice" given by the police to wear sari inside 'girbh griha' of the temple, the woman activist entered the inner sanctum in salwar kameez though some priests and devotees tried to block her way.
Desai said she would participate on the condition that a female voice-over will be roped in for the series.
The Lord Ayyappa shrine will re-open for the two-month-long Madala-Makkarvilakku puja on Saturday.
Though some Hindutva groups have said they will prevent the women's group from entering the temple.
A local AIMIM leader said they would not allow Desai to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the renowned Dargah and threatened to smear her face with black ink if she does so.
Desai requested the Dargah's trust to not move the Supreme Court against the HC's judgment.
Bindu Ammini was attacked by the member of a Hindu outfit using pepper or chilli spray outside the police commissionerate.
The Shiv Sena leadership, however, distanced themselves from the comment of Arafat Shaik saying "be it a man or a woman, all have equal rights to enter any religious place."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday urged the administration in Ahmednagar district to initiate dialogue with the women activists, who were detained and later released by the police for marching towards the Shani Shingnapur temple.
Honour court order or face FIR: activist Trupti Desai to Maharashtra CM over Bombay high court's order facilitating entry of females to places of worship.
'I am a Hindu and I love Hindu religion. Hindu religion gives high status and respect to women.' 'And if there are some reforms in Hindu religion, then there is nothing wrong in it.' 'I am not trying to hurt Hindu sentiments.'
Around 25 activists proceeded for the temple on Saturday morning in 2-3 small vehicles.
Ahmednagar police stopped the activists of 'Ranaragini Bhoomata Brigade' protesting against the alleged gender bias by the temple authorities, led by Trupti Desai, at Supa, about 70 km from the temple premises, foiling their bid to offer worship at the sacred platform.
Despite the trust's orders that men as well as women will not be allowed to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple here, around 100 men were on Friday seen storming into the inner sanctum of the holy place.
Their next plan is to launch a campaign to ensure only women priests change the clothes of goddess idols.
On August 26, the Bombay HC had lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the inner sanctum of Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah.
'I want to know, how can any God become impure if woman enters the temple?'
The government designated the court of First Additional District and Sessions Judge in Mahabubnagar district as special court for speedy trial of the case.
'SC is giving us the distinct impression that verdicts, treatment of review petitions are influenced by what pleases/displeases those in power'
A smooth access to the hitherto prohibited area of the temple brought cheer to women devotees as they poured oil on the ancient black stone idol and offered flowers to the deity on Saturday.
'As I was getting out of my car at Haji Ali some activists charged towards me with lathis and knives.'
According to the spiritual guru, all men and women could have darshan of the Shani deity from a distance of three feet without any gender discrimination.
The entry by members of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan into the mausoleum came more than a month after the Haji Ali Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court it will allow women inside the inner sanctum of the shrine. Women devotees' entry into it was banned a few years ago.
Under the Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship (Entry Authorisation) Act, if any temple or person prohibits any person from entering a temple then he or she faces a six-month imprisonment.
Fadnavis, who on Tuesday favoured a dialogue on the issue in the wake of a tense showdown, did not make any comment on the set of demands before leaving the venue.
In a boost to gender equality campaign, the Bombay high court on Wednesday observed that if men are allowed in a place of worship then women should also be permitted as no law prevents them from doing so.
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This is the third time the temple is opening after the court verdict, though no girl or woman in the previously banned age group could offer prayers so far following stiff resistance by devotees and activists, opposing any change in the temple traditions. The apex court on September 28 lifted the age-old ban on entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group.
Women will be granted access to the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on par with men
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