Protests intensified and turned violent Wednesday as the Sabarimala temple opened its doors to devotees for the first time since the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the shrine. And after clashes with devotees and attacks on women journalists along the road to the Lord Ayappa shrine and calls by fringe groups for a strike Thursday, prohibitory orders were issued at Pamba and Nilakkal.
Despite assurances by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Tuesday that nobody will be blocked from entering the Lord Ayappa shrine and heavy police security, protesters at Nillakal and Pamba — the two base camps before the temple — turned back two women pilgrims and heckled, threatened and attacked at least five women journalists and targeted their vehicles.