Veteran actor Sivakumar says that women will face consequences if they enter the Sabarimala temple. This follows the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages to the renowned temple in Kerala.
Speaking to the press about the issue, the actor said that women entry to the temple is a good thing, but there can be no extra safety measures or exclusive facilities for women during festivals, and that crowd control may be an issue. Shivakumar said, “I am happy that the government allows women entry to the temple as per the Supreme Court’s order. It is completely fine by me for women to enter the temple, on regular days. If it is a special festival like Magara Vilakku, over 3 lakh people visit in a day. I myself do not got to any temple during the festive seasons. Why should we unnecessarily get caught in the stampede? When it is not safe even for men, then who will assure the safety of women. Will Ayyappa or Muruga get angry if you pray to them in your home? You’re going there for entertainment. You can go but you will have to face the consequences.”
Earlier, many members of the film industry had spoken about the issue. Actress Aditi Balan said: “I welcome the judgement by the Supreme Court that allows entry of women into the Sabarimala temple. I consider this an opportunity for women. I have visited the temple thrice during my childhood and consider this as another opportunity for me to go to the temple.”
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“Trekking to Sabarimala is arduous and hence they asked women to keep away’ – it is equally arduous for men. If faith can move mountains for men, won’t it do the same for women too?” said singer Chinmayi in her blog post.
“All women are sacred, and no one should be stopped from going to a temple,” Vijay Sethupathi said while actress Trisha, added: “The Supreme Court has been giving a series of progressive judgements, and I’m very happy about this verdict too.” Actor-director Lakshmy Ramakrishnan and actress Khushbu Sundar also commented on the verdict in their social media profiles.