Lord Ayyappa women devotees take vow to abide by tradition

Woman devotees of Lord Ayyappa Friday took a vow here to undertake pilgrimage to the Sabarimala hill shrine only in keeping with age old traditions and avoid visiting it notwithstanding a favourable Supreme Court verdict.

Woman devotees, under the auspices of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam, took the vow at Valluvar Kottam here after a puja-ceremony to the accompaniment of 'chenda melam,' a traditional percussion instrument of Kerala.

Devotees held banners and placards like "save the tradition," and said Ayyappa is a "Naishtika Brahmachari' (celibate) and hence upholding the tradition they would visit the shrine only after crossing the menstrual cycle.

Male devotees also attended the programme, christened "sathyapramanam yerkum nigazchi (an event to take vow)."