In a historic move, two women devotees, below the age of 50, entered and offered prayers at Kerala's Sabarimala temple at 3.45am today (Jan 2). The shrine has since been closed for purification process, reports said.

Kerala police in civil uniform escorted them to the temple. The women Bindu (42), a CPI (ML) activist from Kozhikode district and Kanakadurga (44), said to be a civil supplies employee from Malappuram — claimed to have begun their climb around midnight and reached the temple at 3.45 am, according to reports.

The Supreme Court had on September 28 permitted the entry of women of all ages to offers prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

It may be mentioned that several Hindu outfits including RSS in Kerala are agitating against the entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple. Since then no women had been able to enter the temple due to massive protests by Ayyappa devotees.