Women’s entry restricted at Maha’s Trimbakeshwar temple

Amid campaigns against ban on women from entering the chauthara of Shani Shingnapur shrine and certain restrictions for them at Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai, famous Trimbakeshwar temple in Maharashtra has also come into spotlight for bar on female devotees offering prayers in the inner sanctum.

The temple, located 30 kms from Nashik, is a major Lord Shiva shrine of the country, which has one of the 12 ‘jyotirlingas’, drawing devotees from far and wide. Kailas Ghule, a member of the Trimbakeshwar Temple Trust said that the bar on entry of women into the Garbhagriha — sanctum sanctorum — is an age-old tradition and not something enforced in recent times. Women, however, can have darshan from outside the core area.

He said men too are not allowed into the core worship area for an hour daily between 6-7 am. As per tradition, only men are allowed entry into the area where the main linga is placed, that too by adorning a specific gear called the sovala (silk clothing). According to Sanjay Shikhare, whose family has for long been engaged in performing 'poojas' and rituals at the temple, the ban goes back to the Peshwa period. Even during the Kumbh Mela, many sadhvis offer prayers at Trimba-keshwar but from outside the Garbhagriha, he said.

Also, some purohits (priests) in the temple town said most of the women devotees may not want to defy the tradition. Seeking to give a scientific dimension for the practice, they said there are certain rays that concentrate in the core area which could probably be harmful to the health of women.

Leave issue to society, says Maneka Gandhi
In the midst of women demanding access to Shani Shingnapur temple and other sacred places in Maharashtra, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday said the matter should be left to the society to decide.

“The society will itself level it out. There should not be any political comment on it,” Gandhi said.