Actor and MLC of the Congress in Karnataka Jayamala caused a massive controversy when in 2006, she reportedly “confessed” that she had visited the Sabarimala temple in 1986, at the age of 27, along with her husband actor Prabhakar. After her claims causes a furore, the case was investigated by the Kerala police and she was charged with deliberately offending religious sentiments. The Kerala High Court however, quashed the chargesheet against her and two others, holding that malicious intent to offend religious feelings had to be proved.
Regardless of how her visit could have been kept a secret all these years remains a mystery. Her claims that she visited the temple and even touched the idol inside the sanctum sanctorum have been dismissed by many as a publicity stunt. However, Jayamala has always maintained that she did visit the temple in 1986.
Jayamala has welcomed the recent remarks of the Supreme Court, which raised questioned over how women could be prevented from entering the temple when the Constitution placed no restrictions. However, she refuses to speak on her visit, all those years ago.
Jayamala however, looks at the matter differently. She questioned notions of celibacy and gender with regard to gods and their devotees.
“Why should women not be allowed there? God is in the form of paramathma. Where is the question of looking at it in terms of male or female? As devotees, should we not be allowed to see our god?” she said.
But she is now keeping away from talking about the 2006 controversy.
“All that is history. I do not want to talk about it. You can read about it,” Jayamala said.
When asked how it was that she undertook the 41-day pilgrimage, Jayamala said: “Who is to question me? It is between me and my god, whose devotee I am.”
Parayar Gopalakrishnan, the head of the Travancore Devaswom Board which runs the temple, and others who hold the view that women should not be allowed there in accordance with custom, often argue Ayyappan in Sabarimala was in his celibate aspect. In other Ayyappa temples that was not the case, and therefore, women were allowed in other Ayyappa temples in Kerala.