India court rules temple must allow women entry

New Delhi : India’s top court yesterday revoked a ban on women entering a famous Hindu temple following a decades-long legal battle, ruling that patriarchy cannot be allowed to trump faith. The decision is the latest by the Supreme Court in recent weeks to reflect a more liberal outlook in the largely conservative and traditional society of 1.25 billion people. Women in India have been intensifying campaigns in recent years to be allowed to enter Hindu temples and other religious sites. The Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala -- the subject of Friday’s ruling and considered one of the holiest for Hindus -- has traditionally barred all women of menstruating age, between 10 and 50.

“To treat women as children of a lesser god is to blink at the constitution itself,” said Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, part of the five-judge bench that gave a majority verdict on Friday. Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said banning the entry of a large section of women was discriminatory and violated their rights. “Prohibiting women (from entering the temple) violates the right of a woman to worship and practise religion,” he said.