• BULBUL CHATTERJEE
• MAHENDRA KUMAR JANGIR
• TANMAY SHARMA

Abstract Decades later the issue of equality still remains central to our society. We are living in 21st century but still women are discriminated against by rules and customs. The attempt to get the entry for women in the temple is a struggle not about to putting down the religious faith or to disturb the celibacy vow of Lord Ayyappa, but it is a struggle to ensure that we do not continue to deny equal membership to women by associating ideas of purity and pollution. In last decades, we witnessed that this struggle has been an ongoing one and reformatory in its approach. The recent hearing of Supreme Court by its constitution bench on 27 July, 2018 on the entry of women to the Sabarimala Temple in Kerela is another long standing fight against the patriarchal dogma of the religious order which prohibits the entry of women into the temple. In a country like India, society and religion are inseparable from each other. The Sabarimala Temple case has brought this concept to the fore, with a controversy between religion Vs fundamental rights. The legal intricacies involved in the case are complex and multi-layers. The Sabarimala Temple of Kerala has been in news for its controversial provision of denying entry to women of menstruating age (10-50). This temple is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites for Hindus. The deity of this temple Lord Ayyapa was a “Naishtika Brahmachari” (who followed celibacy), and as per the supporters of the temple ban, women of menstruating age are regarded as “impure” to enter the temple as that would disturb the celibacy of the deity. In the past thirty years, this issue has drawn resistance and protests from diverse sections of society and has given rise to a legal dispute.

custom against constitution, right to equality, essential religious practice.

"RIGHT TO WORSHIP", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.286-294, June 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907D45.pdf

"RIGHT TO WORSHIP", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp286-294, June 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907D45.pdf