Sabarimala Temple Case: SC to hear petition today

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear the petition seeking the entry of women aged into Kerala's Sabarimala temple.

This will be the first hearing after the Supreme Court changed the Bench hearing a decade-old petition against the restriction on women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the temple.

Earlier, the three-judge Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra included Justices Gopala V. Gowda and Kurian Joseph, who were replaced by Justices C. Nagappan and R. Banumathi on July 11.

A total of 10 Supreme Court judges, sitting in various combinations, have already heard the case in as many years since it was first filed in 2006.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra Government to ensure that women are not denied entry at any temple.

Defending the ban, the Sabarimala temple administration said the tradition is connected to essential religious practice.

Supporting them, the Kerala Government told the court that beliefs and customs of devotees cannot be changed through a judicial process and that the opinion of the priests is final in matters of religion.