Women’s Entry into Sabarimala Is Not Wrong, Says Swami Satchidananda
SIVAGIRI: Sivagiri Mutt has made it clear that there is nothing wrong with women entering the Sabarimala temple. Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust President Swami Satchidananda said that this view had been expressed earlier by Nitya Chaitanya Yathi as well. He was speaking while presiding over a conference held as part of the Sivagiri pilgrimage, with a focus on the ideals and goals of the movement.
Swami Satchidananda said that unethical practices and superstitions still exist in Kerala and must be corrected. He recalled an incident at the Guruvayur temple where a woman was treated as untouchable and made to stand away after washing her feet in the temple pond. Such attitudes, he said, have no place in a progressive society.
He also criticised the continued ban on the renowned singer Yesudas from entering the Guruvayur temple. “There is no better Hindu than Yesudas,” Swami Satchidananda said, adding that this exclusion reflects deep-rooted prejudice. He described it as a major mistake by the people of Kerala and political parties to confine Sree Narayana Guru within the boundaries of a single community.
Emphasising the true message of Sree Narayana Guru, Swami Satchidananda said that Sree Narayana religion teaches the unity of all human beings. “All humans are one,” he said, calling for the removal of discrimination and superstition in religious and social practices.