Women pilgrims forced to return without offering prayers at Lord Ayyappa Shrine

Sabarimala (Ker): Faced with unrelenting protests from devotees, two women in their forties, who tried to trek to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa here on Monday, were forced to return without offering prayers.

The attempt by the two women - Bindu and Kanakdurga - came a day after a group of 11 women activists of "Manithi", a Chennai-based outfit unsuccessfully tried to make it to the shrine.

The two women, who reached Pamba at around 4 am, faced massive protests from devotees at Apachimedu and Marakootam, about one km from the 'Sannidhanam' (temple complex), as they were being escorted by police.

Ayyappa devotees surged in large numbers to the narrow pathway while the women were being escorted, and there was a minor scuffle with the police for over an hour.

Police tried to evict the pilgrims who shouted "go back" and chanted Ayyappa mantras and a tense situation prevailed with the restive devotees showing no signs of backing off.

Seeing the growing number of protesters, including young children and to prevent the situation from getting out of hand, the women were advised to return by the police.

The women were earlier stopped at Appachimedu, a place en route Sabarimala, by protesters, who were later evicted by police.

The BJP also held a protest in front of the houses of the two women against their attempt to trek the hill.

Amid reports that Kandakdurga had complained of uneasiness and that she had fainted, Bindu told reporters that it was only a "ploy" to stall their progress to Sabarimala and there was nothing wrong with her.

Bindu alleged the police had forcibly prevented them from reaching the shrine.

Both the women, who trekked nearly 4.5 km, were taken to a hospital in an

ambulance for a medical check-up.