At least 250 people including 38 policemen have been injured following a series of demonstration in India after two women entered the Kerala Temple.
The demonstration which was organized by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti , an umbrella of Hindu group was marked as a “black day.”
Police and political rivals clashed with Hindu activists and traditionalist over the entry of two women in their 40’s into the Sabarimala temple causing a dawn to dusk shutdown protest.
The two women 42, Bindu Ammini and 44 years old Kanakadurga were escorted by police to worship in the mosque becoming the first women to worship in Sabarimala temple.
The two women broke the tradition that barred entry of women between 10 and 50 into the shrine even after a supreme court verdict allowed women to prey at the temple.
Kerala had been on the spot following the Supreme Court verdict as tradition barred women due to the reason that the presiding deity in the temple is celibate.
On Thursday several political party houses were burnt down as police tried to use teargas to disperse the crowd. 55 year old activist died after a rock thrown by a protester hit him.
Close to 226 people were arrested with 334 taken into preventive custody as mobile phones of suspected activists taken in for examination.
The temple remained adamant to allow entry of women as the Supreme Court denied hearing an urgent petition on the matter.