Kolhapur Collector Laxmikant Deshmukh and Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Satej Patil on Friday announced that women would henceforth be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Mahalakshmi temple here.
This decision was taken at a meeting attended by the priests, the Devstan Management Committee officials, and Superintendent of Police Yashashwi Yadav.
It was decided to allow special puja by women at a specified time. The meeting also decided to fix specific hours for women to enter the sanctum sanctorum .
The developments in the last two days had created a surcharged atmosphere in the temple town as the Opposition parties tried to get political mileage out of the situation. On Wednesday and Thursday, women activists forcibly entered the sanctum and sanctorum of the temple. The government then asked the Collector to put an end to the controversy.
The issue was first raised by Ram Kadam, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLA, in the Assembly asking why women were prohibited. After this triggered a debate in the media, Neeta Kelkar, women's wing leader of the BJP from Sangli, along with others forcibly entered the sanctum sanctorum on Wednesday. The priests could not stop them from defying the ban.
Ms. Kelkar later announced that if priests or the police tried to stop women hereafter they would launch an agitation.
According to the priests, only women belonging to royal families were traditionally allowed. But this argument was rejected by social activist Vidya Bal, advocate Varsha Deshpande and Sena MLA Neelam Gore.
The Blind Faith Eradication Committee has taken the issue to the High Court.
A group of women by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Mr. Kadam, entered the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday and offered puja. Mr. Kadam had appealed to Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan to allocate Rs. 500 crore to beautify the historic temple. He lashed out at the Western Maharashtra Devstan Committee, controlled by the State government.
