Ban on women at Sabarimala linked to Lord Ayyappa's celibate tradition, not bias: Centre tells SC

Just ahead of the Kerala elections, the Centre has filed its written submission in the Supreme Court regarding the Sabarimala temple case. The government clarified that the restriction on women aged 10 to 50 entering the temple is not due to notions of impurity or discrimination against women, but is intended to preserve Lord Ayyappa’s “Naishtika Brahmachari” (lifelong celibate) tradition and the temple’s established rituals.