More than 400 women activists have pledged to enter the premises of Shani Shingnapur temple in the Indian state of Maharashtra on January 26 to protest against gender discrimination. Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, which is based out of Pune, said that the time has come to breach the shrine arena of the temple in Ahmednagar district, which bars women from entering or offering worship at the innermost sanctum.
“Beginning next week, we will be holding meetings with several women’s groups across various districts to raise awareness about our campaign. We will start in Satara,” said Trupti Desai, president of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade.
According to Desai, the proposed puja at the shrine is expected to take place on Republic Day, as this was the day that the Indian Constitution came into effect. The aim of the demonstration is to reinforce the fact that equal rights have been bestowed upon every human being in the country, irrespective of gender, by the Indian Constitution.
Last month, a woman tried to enter the innermost sanctum of the temple, where an idol of Lord Shani is worshipped. The apparent violation caused the trustees of the temple to perform a purification ritual. This caused widespread outrage among several women rights groups across Maharashtra. After that incident, Desai and three other women attempted to breach the stringent security cordon around the temple’s innermost sanctum but security personnel stopped them.
“If the trustees argue there is no discrimination against women in the temple premises, then why aren’t women being allowed to go into the inner sanctum? Besides, why are there only priests and not priestesses in this day and age?” argued Desai.
The trustees said that even men are disallowed from climbing the shrine arena, where worshippers’ offerings, like oil and garlands, are kept.
“The temple has an ancient tradition which everyone should respect and follow. If someone forcefully tries to break it, it will only hurt the sentiments of the devotees,” said Sayaram Bankar, a trustee who has urged the brigade to reconsider their protest plan.
Bhumata Ranragini Brigade plans on sending a memorandum regarding the issue to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Photo Credits: Templepurohit.com
