Clashes as hardline Hindu protesters stop women from entering temple in India

Crowds of angry Hindu devotees have prevented women from entering one of Hinduism's holiest temples despite a historic Supreme Court ruling, reports BBC NEWS.

Clashes erupted with baton-waving police charging stone-throwing protesters on Wednesday, injuring several people, including an old woman. 

The situation remained tense after nightfall, with police reinforcing the 500 officers already present ahead of likely another dramatic day on Thursday on the road to the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, reports AFP.

The Sabarimala temple has historically been closed to women of "menstruating age".  Last month India's Supreme Court overturned a ban on females of menstruating age -- judged between 10 and 50 years -- entering and praying at the hilltop temple in the southern state of Kerala.

A day after protests and violence, the state government has banned the gathering of more than five people in Sannidhanam, Pamba, Nilakkal, and Elavungal - the base camps from where devotees head to the hill-top shrine. A state-wide shutdown has been called today by a group that calls itself the Sabarimala Protection Committee. Many shops are shut and vehicles are off the roads, reports India-based NDTV.

The report says, BJP has decided to support the shutdown, which while Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has said that the key issue in Sabarimala was "not one of gender equality."

As the temple opened to devotees yesterday, protesters attempting to block women from visiting the shrine clashed with the police and even attacked women journalists. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said no one would be allowed to stop devotees going to Sabarimala. This morning, however, two journalists of the New York Times were forced to drop their trek to Sabarimala after facing protests. 

The Sabarimala temple opened for the first time yesterday after the Supreme Court's historic September 28 order ending what the judges called a custom  ‘almost like untouchably’. Large crowds took to the route leading to the temple to block women. Protesters vandalised media vehicles and threw stones at the police. Women health workers and police constables on duty were also not spared.

More than a dozen protesters were arrested. Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra said there is very strong police presence in and around Sabarimala.  "None will be stopped nor will anyone be allowed to take law into their hands. Anyone can come and pray," Mr Behra said.