Shani worship by women will increase rapes, says religious leader Swaroopanand Saraswati

Bowing to a Bombay HC order, the temple trust had last announced that women will also be allowed to enter the inner sanctum

With women being allowed to worship in the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Monday said that this would result in increase of rape incidents.

"Women entered Shani temple's inner sanctum. The women are worshipping Shani in the temple. By doing so, Shani's eyes would fall on women and this would result in increase of rape incidents," Swaroopanand Saraswati said.

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Bowing to the Bombay High Court order, the temple trust had last week broke the 400 years tradition and announced that both men and women will henceforth be allowed to enter the inner sanctum and offer their prayers.

The Bhumata Brigade cadres led by Trupti Desai offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple following the decision.