Two women devotees offer prayer in Sabarimala

Amid heavy security, the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, opened on Sunday evening for the 21-day Makaravilakku festival. On Wednesday, two women devotees Bindu and Kankdurga escorted by police entered Sabarimala and had darshan during the wee hours.

Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful bids to trek to the Sabarimala shrine to offer prayers during the Mandalam season.

A video circulating in social media showed the two women in Sabarimala.

The Ayyappa temple had witnessed massive protests by devotees against the state government's decision to implement the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict, opening its doors to women of all ages to offer prayers.

Opposition Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backed the devotees in their protest against the entry of young women inside the shrine.

Women in the age group of 10-50 years were earlier barred from offering prayers at the temple, the presiding deity of which is "Naishtika Brahamachari" (perennial celebate).