Sabarimala: More than 100 injured during Kerala shutdown

More than 100 people, including 38 police personnel, have been injured, reported Hindustan Times. Four BJP workers were stabbed in Thrissur while trying to enforce the shutdown.

While the BJP is supporting the bandh, the Congress is observing Thursday as a "Black Day".

According to reports, clashes between the police and bandh-enforcers were reported from Pandalam, Kozhikode, Kasargode and Ottapalam. Several journalists were also assaulted in Palakkad during a march organised by the BJP and the RSS.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the two women in their mid 40s entered the shrine a day ago with police protection, media reports said.

Video footage of the incident, where two women could be seen entering the temple, has gone viral on social media.

The women reportedly reached the temple around 3:45 am.

According to some media reports, these two women have been identified as activists Bindhu and Kanakadurga.

After the women's entry,  the temple was closed for "purification rituals", a move that was slammed by various outfits saying it was practising untouchability.

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.

For centuries, menstruating women had been banned from entering the temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.