Singhnapur women prevent their sisters from entering Shani temple

Twenty-five activists of the Bhumata Ragini Brigate, led by Trupti Desai, on Saturday made a forceful bid to enrter the Shani Singhnapur temple in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, armed with the Bombay High Court verdict allowing them, but to the Bhumata's misfortune the women of the temple town stoutly disallowed them. Angry women of the temple town pushed aside the women of the Bhumata Brigade and prevented them from entering the temple. The tradition of the Singhnapur Shani temple prevents women from entering the Giant Saturn temple platform, where oil is poured on the idol and black cloth is offered. They can however see the menfolk performing the ritual from a distance. Even so, Trupti Desai said emphatically that she had the High Court order. If necessary she would be filing an FIR against the Home Minister and Chief Minister. `What is the police doing? The police were directed to provide protection to us by the court.' The Bombay High court ruled on Friday that offering prayers at a temple `is the fundamental right of a woman and the government's fundamental duty is to protect the woman's right."