Lord Ayyappa: News

17 Jul 2021

Kerala

Kerala: Sabarimala temple reopens for pilgrims today amid COVID-19 restrictions

The Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala's Pathanamthitta reopened for pilgrims Saturday morning for the first time after the devastating second COVID-19 wave hit India.

Discrimination against women: SC will complete hearings in 10 days

A nine-judge constitutional bench, that was formed to hear pleas on religious discrimination faced by women, will not hear the matter for more than ten days, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde announced on Tuesday.

Woman who prayed at Sabarimala attacked with pepper spray

Bindu Ammini, who was one of two women to offer prayers at Sabarimala temple in January, was attacked by a Hindu Helpline activist outside the Kochi Police Commissioner's office on Tuesday.

Kerala Police stops 12-year-old girl from entering Sabarimala Temple

On the fourth day of the two-month-long Mandala-Makaravilakku Sabarimala pilgrimage season, a 12-year-old girl was stopped from entering the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

Amid row over women's entry, Sabarimala opens for pilgrimage season

The gates of the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala opened on Saturday for the two-month-long Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

Sabarimala Temple opens today: Government says no place for activism

The centuries-old Sabarimala Temple has become a hotbed for politics, and as its gates open today for the 41-day annual pilgrimage season, Kerala government has given a clear message- the shrine isn't a place for activism.

Supreme Court refers Sabarimala issue to larger bench

On Thursday, the Supreme Court announced its verdict on pleas challenging the 2018 order concerning Sabarimala Temple of Kerala.

Give 24x7 security to women who entered Sabarimala, orders SC

On Friday, the Supreme Court directed the Kerala government to give adequate security to Bindu and Kanaka Durga, the two women who entered Sabarimala temple on January 2.

04 Jan 2019

Kerala

Women, who entered Sabarimala, were dressed as transgenders: Meenakshi Lekhi

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi came down heavily on Kerala government, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, on Friday after two women entered the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa.

03 Jan 2019

Lok Sabha

#SabarimalaTemple: Statewide bandh called after two-women enter holy shrine

The Sabarimala Karma Samiti (SKS) which is an umbrella organization of various Hindu outfits has called for a statewide bandh in Kerala after two women, in their 40s, entered the hilltop shrine of Lord Ayyappa in the early hours of Wednesday.

02 Jan 2019

Mumbai

#Sabarimala: Women form human-chain in Mumbai to support 'Women's Wall'

Over 1,000 women formed a human chain in Mumbai to express solidarity with the 'Women's Wall' formed in Kerala as part of an initiative to uphold gender equality amid the row over the entry of females of certain ages in the Sabarimala temple.

#SabarimalaStandoff: Despite police deployment, women couldn't enter Ayyappa shrine

In yet another failed attempt, 11 women who were on their way to Sabarimala Temple in Kerala returned without paying respects to Lord Ayyappa.

28 Nov 2018

Kerala

#SabarimalaRow: BSNL suspends activist Rehana Fathima after arrest

On Tuesday, BSNL suspended activist-model Rehana Fathima after she was arrested for hurting sentiments of the followers of Lord Ayyappa through a Facebook post.

19 Nov 2018

Kerala

Fresh protests in Sabarimala, 28 devotees taken into preventive custody

28 people were taken into preventive custody at the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala late yesterday night after fresh protests broke out at Nadapanthal area in Sannidhanam, where hundreds of devotees agitated against the police restrictions.

Kerala government destroying Ayyappa Temple's uniqueness: State BJP Chief Pillai

Spearheading a campaign against the Kerala government over the Sabarimala issue, state BJP chief PS Sreedharan Pillai alleged the CPI(M)-led dispensation was making the Lord Ayyappa shrine "a center of dispute to destroy its uniqueness."

17 Nov 2018

Mumbai

#SabarimalaRow: Hindu-groups call for hartal as temple opens for 2-months

Sabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organization for outfits of Hindu groups opposing the Supreme Court order, has called a state-wide shutdown in Kerala after Hindu Aikya Vedi state President, KP Sasikala was detained on Saturday morning.

#SabarimalaRow: Trupti Desai stopped by protesters, eats breakfast inside Kochi-airport

Pune-based activist Trupti Desai faced angry protesters on reaching Kochi Airport in Kerala early Friday morning.

BJP launches Rath Yatra to 'protect' tradition of Ayyappa Temple

The BJP today embarked on a Rath Yatra from Kasaragod in Kerala to "protect" the traditions and rituals of the hill-shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, which recently witnessed violent protests against the entry of women of menstruating age group.

#SabarimalaTemple: Malayalam TV cameraman attacked by angry devotees

A cameraman of a Malayalam television news channel was attacked, allegedly by angry devotees at Sabarimala's Lord Ayyappa temple complex today, when he was filming a protest organized to prevent the entry of a woman, whom devotees suspected to be of menstrual age.

Sabarimala opens for few hours today, police forces on toes

A thick police force has been put in place near Sabarimala Temple, as the hill shrine in Kerala opens for a special puja on Monday.

Kerala: Amit Shah says Sabarimala will be saved, attacks Left

BJP President Amit Shah launched a blitzkrieg on the Kerala government on Saturday as he dived into the row surrounding the Sabarimala Temple saying the Left was insulting the devotees of Lord Ayyappa.

23 Oct 2018

Kerala

#WomenInSabarimala: Temple's doors close but November poses the real challenge

Despite the Supreme Court's order last month, women of menstrual age weren't allowed to enter the holy shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala, and now the Sabarimala Temple has closed its doors.

On Sabrimala-row, Smriti Irani makes a reference to blood-soaked pads

Wading into the ongoing row pertaining to women's entry in Sabarimala, Union Minister Smriti Irani asked if anyone would take blood-soaked pads to their friend's house.

Two-women prevented from climbing Sabarimala-hills. Will the row ever settle-down?

As the Sabarimala row in Kerala refuses to die down, Ayyappa devotees on Sunday prevented two Telugu-speaking women from climbing the holy hills.

#SabarimalaForAll: Two-women, on verge of scripting history, couldn't enter shrine

Two women (including a journalist) who were on the verge of scripting history as they started the trek to reach the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala on Friday, returned midway.

#SabarimalaRow: Woman journalist treks Sabarimala, forced to return by devotees

In the fierce attempts of Lord Ayyappa devotees to prevent women of all age groups from entering Sabarimala temple, a Delhi-based woman journalist was stopped midway, while she was trekking the Sabarimala Hill today.

#SabarimalaRow: Hartal begins in Kerala, special security arrangements in place

In yet another move to defy the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of the menstrual age group to enter the Sabarimala temple, Hindu outfits in Kerala called for a hartal.

RSS moved SC in 2006, seeking women's entry into Sabarimala

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran today sought to turn the tables on RSS on the Sabarimala issue, claiming that Sangh leaders had moved Supreme Court in 2006, seeking entry of women into Lord Ayyappa's shrine.

Temple-board to file review-petition because Lord Ayyappa is 'brahmachari'

The Travancore Devaswom Board which administers the Lord Ayyappa Temple of Kerala will move court with a review petition after Friday's verdict of Supreme Court, which ended the ban on women's entry in the ancient temple.

Activist who led Shani Shingnapur stir hails SC Sabarimala verdict

Activist Trupti Desai, who led an agitation earlier to allow women to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra, hailed today's Supreme Court's order on Kerala's Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala.

#BigWin: All women can enter Sabarimala Temple, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed entry of women in the Sabarimala Temple of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala, giving a major victory to women's rights crusaders.

19 Aug 2018

Tamil Nadu

#KeralaFloods: TN devotees end Sabarimala pilgrimage in local Ayyappa temples

With heavy rains and floods making the famous hill shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala out of bounds, several Ayyappa devotees from Tamil Nadu chose to end their pilgrimage at local temples in Chennai and elsewhere in the state.

28 Jul 2018

Karnataka

Became the Karnataka CM because of Lord Ayyappa's blessings: Kumarasamy

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy today said he was an ardent devotee of Lord Ayyappa and he got the Chief Ministership of Karnataka because of the god's blessings.