India Supreme Court Concerned Over Sectarian Temple Entry Rules

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday expressed deep concerns that sectarian restrictions on temple entry could fragment Hindu society and undermine the religion itself, as a nine-judge Constitution bench continued hearings on petitions challenging discrimination against women at religious sites, including the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, and the broader scope of religious freedom under the Constitution.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and including Justices B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B. Varale, R. Mahadevan, and Joymalya Bagchi, is examining the interplay between Articles 25 and 26, which guarantee freedom of religion and the right of religious denominations to manage their affairs, and other fundamental rights like equality under Article 14.

Senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, representing organizations such as the Nair Service Society and devotees of Lord Ayyappa, argued that Sabarimala qualifies as a denominational temple under Article 26(b), granting it autonomy to restrict entry based on faith and rituals, such as the 40-day vow observed by all devotees regardless of gender or...