New Delhi :
Women entering Lord Shani temple at Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra has taken an ugly turn after a group of 500 activist who were on their way to the temple have been stopped 40 km away. The activists were planning to enter the temple’s area where the stone of Lord Shani has been installed.
Packed in six buses, women departed from Pune, saying to end the centuries-old ban on women entering the inner-most part of the temple in Ahmednagar.
However, the temple administration said the entry of women near the stone will not be unacceptable. With the help from locals, they have pledged to form a human chain of women to keep the activists out.
According to the police officials large groups of people cannot gather in the town today as part of an attempt to prevent violence from erupting when the activists arrive.
Those in favour of maintaining the ban on women, said female devotees can be harmed by the strong vibrations emerging from Lord Shani.
The furore started in November, when a woman entered the open platform to offer prayer and the priest purified the area with milk and oil.
