A group of 14 women dressed as men tried to gain entry into the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala, but were stopped by the police on Thursday. The temple bars the entry of women who have attained puberty.

“A team of police personnel, posted at the foothills of the temple at Pamba, felt suspicious of a group of pilgrims. They stopped the group and found that 14 of them were women dressed as men,” U Sadanandan, the SP in charge of security at the temple, told IANS.

“The police did not allow the women to go to the temple on top, while the men in the group were let in. No case has been registered," he added.

Aravana Prasadam

Meanwhile, the aravana prasadam at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will be given away in containers brought by pilgrims, it was decided at a high-level meeting convened at Pathanamthitta on Thursday. Devaswom Affairs Minister G Sudhakaran said after the meeting that the prasadam would be given away in specific weighed measures. The price would be Rs 6 less than that of the 250 gm canned variety. At present, a can of aravana costs Rs 50. The minister said that the new arrangement would bring about a temporary solution to the aravana crisis which has been playing havoc at the hill shrine.