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Only women below 10 years and above 50 are allowed entry to the Sabarimala temple.
Women devotees and others defending age restrictions on entry of women to Sabarimala shrine in Kerala told the Supreme Court Thursday that the Ayyappa deity was a juristic person with fundamental right to privacy and the celibate nature which was its integral feature and should not be disturbed.
"For anyone to assert their right under Article 25(1) - freedom of conscience and right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion - is to say 'I believe in the deity'. If that is so, their belief must be in sync with what is the character of the deity which is an essential and core characteristic of the deity and therefore the religious denomination. The character of the deity cannot be wished away," senior advocate V Giri, appearing for the temple 'tantri' (priest) told the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The other judges...