India Supreme Court Sets Sabarimala Review Hearings for 2026

The Supreme Court of India has constituted a nine-judge bench to hear review petitions challenging its 2018 verdict on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, along with related cases examining the balance between religious freedom and equality rights. The hearings, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and including Justices B V Nagarathna, Joymalya Bagchi, R Mahadevan, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, A G Masih, and Prasanna B Varale, are set to begin on April 7, 2026, in New Delhi and conclude by April 22.

The case originated from a September 2018 ruling by a five-judge Constitution Bench, which by a 4-1 majority struck down a longstanding custom barring women aged 10 to 50 from entering the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. The court held the practice unconstitutional, emphasizing the right to equality under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution over exclusionary religious traditions. The decision, in the Indian Young Lawyers Association versus State of Kerala case, sparked protests in Kerala, where opponents argued it violated the deity's celibate nature and devotees' rights to practice their faith as protected under...