Sabarimala: Rajinikanth supports SC verdict but says 'traditional matters must be handled with care'

The actor has been quoted by NDTV as saying, "Women should have equal rights in all spheres, there is no doubt about it. People should obey the Supreme Court order, but sensitive and traditional matters should be handled with care."

Women of a particular age group (between 10 and 50) were earlier banned from entering the temple for decades as a part of the religious practice.

Failing to create history, two women- an activist and a journalist- who on Friday attempted to enter Kerala's Sabrimala Temple, which has been opened for female persons across all age groups since Wednesday, returned without entering the shrine.

The two women turned back after the priest said he will shut the temple.

One hundred and fifty police personnel had escorted the two women to the shrine.

Protests have rocked the state in recent times over the verdict with demonstrators not supporting the order of allowing menstruating women from entering the temple.

As the gate of the temple was set to open on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court passed its judgement with the likelihood of women trying to enter, protesters, keeping a vigil against any such eventuality, turned aggressive, intimidating and hounding female devotees who tried to venture into the shrine, beating up women journalists and clashing with the police.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on September 28 had lifted the ban on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple declaring the relevant rules as unconstitutional.