Ranaragini, a women’s organisation affiliated to the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and the Sanatan Sanstha, on Saturday said it would stage a protest against the entry of women in shrines like Shani Shingnapur, breaking a 400 year-old tradition, and oppose activists like Trupti Desai, chief of Bhumata Brigade, if they try to enter other temples where women are not allowed entry.
Prateeksha Korgaonkar, State chief of Ranaragini, said the organisation would stage a show of strength at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on April 11, bringing together a large section of women in favour of age-old traditions observed at temples.
“Bhumata Brigade’s Trupti Desai has announced that after the Shani temple, she and other activists will try to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahalakhmi temple in Kolhapur and the Trimbakeshwar temple. Ranaragini will strongly oppose their entry,” Ms Korgaonkar said.
“Trupti Desai and a handful of women may have offered prayers at the Shani temple, but local women from villages like Sonai, Belhekarwadi, Panaswadi, Bramhani, Nevasa, Ghodegaon, Wadala, Karanjgaon and Umbare around Shani Shingnapur have not entered the sanctum sanctorum. They said they will follow the religious tradition. This is a victory of religious forces, and a moral defeat of the so-called progressive elements like Trupti Desai,” she said adding that Ranaragini had launched a movement for the protection of religious traditions.
‘Publicity stunt'
Describing Ms. Desai’s agitation as a “publicity stunt,” Ms. Korgaonkar said Hinduism did not have practices that were unjust to women, and a large section of women opposes the agitation by Ms. Desai and others. On Friday, the Shani Shingnapur temple broke away from a 400-year-old tradition, and allowed women to offer prayers in the sanctum sanctorum.
