The temple has reopened after 'purification' rituals, according to reports.
The Sabarimalatemple has been closed on orders of the head priest for 'Shuddhi Kalasham(purification)', according to a report by News18.
Royal family member Shashi Kumar Verma has told News18 that purification of the temple will be carried out.
“Customs in Sabarimala must be continued. We are not in favour of changing the customs,’” Verma said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed that two women entered Sabarimala temple and offered prayers.
Police have confirmed that the two women entered the temple.
The women -- Bindu (42), a CPI (ML) activist from Kozhikode district and Kanakadurga (44), said to be a civil supplies employee from Malappuram -- claimed to have begun their climb around midnight and reached the temple at 3.45 am, according to reports.
They also released a video of their visit to the temple.
# Two women under the age of 50 entered the Sabarimala temple
# The women, Bindu (42) and Kanakadurga (44), entered the temple at around 3.45 am
# They have left the temple premises
# They entered the temple in presence of police officers
# A video of the entry has been released
Traditionally, women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 years were barred from offering prayers at the shrine, the presiding deity of which is "Naishtika Brahamachari" (perennial celibate). More than a dozen women had made unsuccessful attempts to trek the hill and offer prayers at the Sabarimala shrine during the Mandalam season.
The two women had unsuccessfully tried to visit the temple in December 2018, according to reports.
Yesterday, over 35 lakh women stood shoulder-to-shoulder across the national highways in Kerala, creating a 620 km-long human 'wall' from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip as part of a state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality.
