2 women who entered Sabarimala approach Supreme Court for protection

Kanaka Durga, 39, and Bindu Ammini, 40,  entered the temple to become the first women of menstrual age to do so in recent memory. 

The court will hear the case on Friday.

Kanaka hospitalised after mother-in-law beats her:

Kanaka was admitted to a hospital recently after she was attacked by her mother-in-law.

According to reports, when Kanaka returned home after staying in hiding since her Jan 2 entry into Sabarimala, her mother-in-law hit her on the head.

Soon after the news of the two women's entry spread and protests began, Kanaka's husband had filed a missing report and her family disowned her, said reports.

The two women received death threats after their entry.

"I knew my life will be in danger but I still wanted to go into the temple," Kanaka Durga had told NDTV after her daring visit. "It's about devotion but it's also about gender equality."

She had said her family had strongly opposed her entry into the shrine.

Why is the controversy?

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

Following the top court's verdict, the shrine opened on Oct 18 for the first time allowing menstruating women, belonging to the age group of 10 to 50, to enter the temple.

However, several men and women had protested outside the temple, and tried to prevent the entry of women in the shrine.

Kerala witnessed protests after Kanaka and Bindu had entered the temple.