THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A nine-judge Constitution Bench of Supreme Court will hear from January 13 the petitions on allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Kerala’s famous hill shrine in Sabarimala.
The larger bench will also take up other religious issues including the entry of women in mosques and the practices of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The apex court issued a notice on Monday referring to petitions seeking review of its historic 2018 judgment allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Sabariamla temple. The apex court had on November 14 stated that a larger seven-judge bench would re-examine various religious issues.
Since there was lack of clarity about the 2018 verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple, a couple of people had approached the apex court to know the status. The SC made it clear that the verdict allowing entry of women has been kept in abeyance as the matter had been referred to a larger bench.
It may be recalled that Sabarimala temple premises, Sannidhanam, Pamba and Nilakkal had witnessed massive protests during the entire pilgrim season last year with Sangh Parivar outfits coming out in open against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
