Kerala for allowing women of all ages into Sabarimala temple

Kerala for allowing women of all ages into Sabarimala temple


http://www.hindu. com/2008/ 02/08/stories/ 2008020853691400 .htm

A separate, exclusive season for them may be considered: affidavit

New Delhi: The Kerala government on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court favouring entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple without restriction. At present, women in the age group 10-50 are not allowed.
The affidavit was filed in response to a notice issued by the court on a petition by the Indian Young Lawyers Association and five other women advocates challenging the ban in vogue for several years.
It said: “Some scholars of ancient Kerala history say that the Sabarimala Sastha Prathista was once a Buddhist shrine. The rituals chanted by worshippers are synonymous with the ‘Saranathrayam’ of Buddhist disciples (Budham Saranam Gachami; Dharmam Saranam Gachami; Sangham Saranam Gachami).” However, the government had no intention of creating any controversy, it said.
“The government is against any sort of discrimination towards women or any section of the public in any way. All persons are equally entitled to the freedom of conscience and the Constitution gives right to worship to everyone equally.” Hence it was not fair to bar a section of women from entering the Sabarimala temple.
The affidavit made it clear that at present the government was taking all steps to prevent women between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the temple. It was desirable to continue the existing practice during the November-January pilgrimage season.
“It may be considered to allow a separate season for women only or allow women of all ages to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa in all seasons except Mandalapooja- Makaravilakku,” the affidavit said.
Not a new right
Kerala pointed out that religious practices and customs had changed during the last 50 years. When old customs prevailed, it was known that women used to visit the temple.
The Maharaja of Travancore, accompanied by the Maharani, visited the temple in the olden days. Hence allowing entry of women of all ages was not a new right to get established but only resumption of an old right.
“The government does not intend to have a new legislation on this subject and it was only waiting for the apex court’s verdict.” It wanted the court to appoint a commission of scholars to go into the issue and to arrive at a fair decision.


BUDDHIST TEMPLES (c.200 BC to 800 AD)
http://www.thrikodi thanam.org/ intro.htm
Buddhism was introduced in Kerala by the missions sent out by Emperor Ashoka from Besnagar (Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh). During this period, the Emperor`s son Mahindra headed a Buddhist mission to Sri Lanka. For more than 700 years, Buddhism flourished in Kerala. The Paliyam Copper plate of the Ay King, Varaguna (885-925AD) shows that at least in South Kerala, Buddhists continued to enjoy royal patronage even until 1000 AD.
Many Hindu temples were once Buddhist shrines, including Vadakkunathan temple of Thrissur, Kurumba Bhagawathi temple of Kannur and the Durga temple at Paruvaserri near Thrissur. A large number of Buddhist images have been discovered in the coastal districts of Allapuzha and Kollam; the most important of these is the famous Karumadi Kuttan near Ambalapuzha.
Revival of Hinduism by Brahmin scholars in 800-1000 AD gradually wiped out Buddhism from Kerala. Royal patronage by the Vaisnavite Kulashekara dynasty hastened this process. Many Keralites, like the Ezhavas (from Ezham, Tamil term for Sri Lanka), who were most likely Buddhists once, got absorbed in the mainstream Hindu fold.
However the legacy of nearly a 1000 years was not so easily forsaken. Pallikudam or Ezhuthupally - the schools opened by Buddhists near their monasteries - continued to impart education (Pally is the Buddhist term for school). Buddha continued to be worshipped as Sastha or Ayyappa. Popular invocation of these deities, even today, hark back to Buddhist times - Buddham Sharanam became Swami Sharanam!
While replacing old Buddhist shrines with new Hindu temples, the Brahmins, respecting sentiments of the neo-converts, relocated the older gods nearby, but away from the sanctum and outside the Pradikshina- patham or circumambulatory pathway.


Old gods, new bottles : Old icons like Sastha (Buddha) were blended with folk heroes like Ayyappa (King Ayyan Adigal). The new god was then called Hariharasuta (son of Vishnu & Shiva); Murugan became identical with Subramonya/Kartikey a; Madura Meenakshi with Parvati.