Date:27/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/27/stories/2007072752890500.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Meeting on women’s entry

Special Correspondent

KOCHI: Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa temple Tantri Kantararu Maheswararu has called an urgent meeting of Hindu organisations to seek their views on the entry of women into the temple.

The meeting will be held in Kochi on Saturday and two dozen Hindu organisations have been invited, Tantri Maheswararu’s grandson and spokesperson for the Tantri Samajam, Rahul Easwar, told The Hindu on Thursday.

The meeting is being held in the wake of Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran’s statement in the Assembly on Wednesday that the Government favoured women’s entry.

The Minister had also said that the Government was considering to organise special women-only pilgrimage to Sabarimala. The Government had, in an affidavit, urged the Supreme Court to set up a Hindu scholars’ commission to give an opinion on these issues.

Mr. Easwar said Viswa Hindu Parishad’s Kummanam Rajasekharan and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan were among those invited.

He pointed out that a Supreme Court decision on a lawsuit on the temple entry issue was likely next month.

He claimed that the Tantri was the final authority on the rituals and conventions at Sabarimala.