South Connect : Kerala witnessed mass protest by Ayyappa devotees

Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, including women, blocked state and national highways in various parts of Kerala on Tuesday, protesting against the recent Supreme Court verdict, permitting women of all ages to worship at the hill shrine at Sabarimala. In the state capital, the activists squatted on the road from 11 am to noon, chanting Ayyappa mantras, but allowed ambulances and vehicles carrying patients to pass. The activists held aloft placards, stating that the court was not bigger than Lord Ayyappa and demanded that the state and central government enact suitable legislation to maintain the age old ban.