Two women defied a centuries-old ban on entering a Hindu temple in the Indian state of Kerala on Wednesday, sparking protests and calls for a strike by conservative Hindu groups outraged by their visit. But the temple refused to abide by the ruling and subsequent attempts by women to visit it had been blocked by thousands ofdevotees. News channels reported the chief priest briefly shut the temple for “purification” rituals after the women visited. “The darkness gave them, and us, cover.”Police were guarding the homes of the women after they left the temple and were prepared to let more women enter the temple, he said. A video from a police official posted online by ANI showed two women in the temple with their heads covered.

Source: Huffington Post January 02, 2019 13:41 UTC