Of course, women can see. They cannot tread on Sabarimala during their menstruating age period that's all, because the belief is that it will make the place impure or aSuddha.
Dear Sangom ji,
Now I think women of the reproductive age post puberty and pre menopause were not allowed in the temple grounds cos men might not be able to control themselves since from the recent understanding that the average Indian males is a potential predator!LOL
I guess we better start having male timings and female timings for temples too.
In Islam...if a husband gets ready for prayer after his ritual cleansing for a Namaz and just say while going to the prayer room or mosque he accidentally knocks into his wife..his whole pre prayer cleansing ritual becomes annulled...an he is considered impure.
So he has to repeat the cleansing pre prayer ritual again.
So I think going by the mindset of the easily aroused Indian male...I would suggest separate prayer halls!
Dear Sangom ji,
Now I think women of the reproductive age post puberty and pre menopause were not allowed in the temple grounds cos men might not be able to control themselves since from the recent understanding that the average Indian males is a potential predator!LOL
I guess we better start having male timings and female timings for temples too.
In Islam...if a husband gets ready for prayer after his ritual cleansing for a Namaz and just say while going to the prayer room or mosque he accidentally knocks into his wife..his whole pre prayer cleansing ritual becomes annulled...an he is considered impure.
So he has to repeat the cleansing pre prayer ritual again.
So I think going by the mindset of the easily aroused Indian male...I would suggest separate prayer halls!
Smt. Renuka,
"cos men might not be able to control themselves since from the recent understanding that the average Indian males is a potential predator!"
You are correct to a certain extent, if it gives you some satisfaction of scoring brownie points.
I have some ideas about this Sabarimala pilgrimage of more than sixty years ago. It was like what is in the photo attached. Only the lower castes of Kerala used to visit the temple. For tabras, Ayyappa was only a marginal deity - their brahmin version was SAsthA and we used to conduct SAsthA preethi which was invariably accompanied by a full-fledged brahmin feast with one particular type of pAyAsam known here as "iDicchu pizhinju pAyasm" in Mallu. This is now done even in Mumbai, Delhi and possibly in some gulf locations too.
People had to observe the vratam for 41 days (known as maNDala kAlam) and then only go because right from Kottayam, they had to trek it out, taking about 15 to 20 days each way. Opium was indispensable for this because Malaria of the virulent variety was endemic in all those areas uphill. Plus there was real danger from wild animals like leopards, lions (very very rarely) and single elephants which are very invariably very ferocious.
Women (of the lower castes) did not dare to venture in such a pilgrimage. Slowly it became the rule and the reason of ritual impurity to the deity itself must have been invented when the intrepid high caste people commenced going to the temple, in order to keep their dominating womenfolk under check.
But your analysis will surely apply today and many women will get putrbhAgya from ayyappan himself if females of all ages are allowed. But the rush will become impossible to manage, what with so many potential predators observing celibacy compulsorily and finding a most congenial opportunity to hunt over the hills!!