THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Supreme Court delivering a landmark judgment allowing the entry of women into Sabarimala, only one more frontier is left to conquer — the Agasthyakoodam peak where the celibate Agasthya Muni is worshipped.
“Certainly the Supreme Court ruling will have a direct bearing on the entry of women to Agasthyakoodam,” said chief wildlife warden P K Kesavan. “We will hold a review meeting to check whether the entry of women has to be reviewed in the light of the ruling ahead of next season.”
"More than the ritualistic traditions of worship, the safety of women is worrying the Forest Department. Last year, a guide was killed and another injured in a bison attack. But the department will have to review its decision as the SC ruling will have a ripple effect,” he added.
A collective of women’s activists had attempted a trek to Agasthyakoodam in February 2017. However, the High Court intervened at the last minute on the plea of a Kani tribal and ruled that women were not allowed to trek to the peak. Kani tribals living in Agastya Mala had opposed the move and informed the court that even tribal women were not allowed to go near the place where Agasthya Muni is worshipped at the peak since he was a celibate.
Kani tribals pleaded with the court to let them live inside the forest with their decades-old traditions and beliefs. According to wildlife warden (Thiruvananthapuram) Y M Shajikumar, if women are allowed to trek there, the department will have to build toilets, restrooms, and boarding facilities for security personnel in the pristine reserve, which is against the tenets of conservation.
Currently, the department allows only restricted pilgrimage trekking for men from January to March. Every year, the trek to the peak begins on Makaravilakku day and comes to an end on Shivaratri. During the course of the 40-45-day pilgrimage, only 100 persons are allowed to trek the tricky 26-km path up dense forests every day.
As of now, women are allowed to trek up to Athirumala, the base camp, which is around 6 km away from the peak. Agasthyakoodam Biosphere Reserve, which is part of Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere programme, is one of the tallest peaks in the state, and is famous for its rich biodiversity and rare medicinal plants, apart from the panoramic view of the Western Ghats’ hilly landscape.