New Delhi, October 16:  Days after the Supreme Court issued a landmark verdict allowing female devotees to visit the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, the temple authorities have expressed their inability to implement the apex court's order.  According to the latest CNN News 18 update, women devotees are being stopped at Nilakkal, and the female journalists are also not being allowed to cross the base camp. The devotees are being dragged out of the buses and are are being stopped from approaching the base camp.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan as quoted in an ANI report said, "We will not allow anyone to take law & order in their hands. The government will ensure facilities to devotees to go to Sabarimala temple and offer prayers. The government will not submit a review petition. We've said in court that we'll implement the order."Women's' Entry In Sabarimala Shrine to be Delayed? Temple Board May Seek Time to Implement Supreme Court's Order.

According to reports, activists from more than 30 organisations will converge at Nilakkal, which is the base camp of Sabarimala hill shrine, and Pampa, the base of the hill from where the devotees trek to the temple to resist the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 years. Shiv Sena, Ayyappa Dharma Sena and tribal communities will be protesting.

As per the existing rule, women of menstruating age are barred from entering the shrine. The norm is based on the belief that it would infuriate Lord Ayyappa, who kept away from female devotees in his lifetime. The apex court, however, ruled that keeping a woman out of shrine for physiological, biological or gender purposes is "unconstitutional".

The shrine will reopen on Wednesday for monthly rituals. It would be closed on October 22 after the five-day monthly pooja of Malayalam month of 'Thulam'.

Travancore Devaswom Board has called a meeting of various stakeholders of the shrine, including the Tantri (head priest) family, Pandalam royals and Ayyappa Seva Sangam today.

Malayalam actor Thulasidharan Nair, also known as Kollam Thulasi, on Friday said women who dare to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple should be ripped apart.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 16, 2018 11:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).