ender rights activist Trupti Desai is back in Kerala to make another attempt to visit the revered Sabarimala temple on Tuesday. She was earlier stopped at the Kochi airport 10 days ago.

Trupti Desai landed at the Kochi airport around 4 am. She has sought police protection for her visit to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.

Trupti Desai is part of a seven-member team that is headed for the Sabarimala temple. She is being accompanied by Bindu Ammini, one of the women who first visited Sabarimala last year.

Follow live updates on Sabarimala:

8:30 am: Bindu Ammini, one of the two women who first entered the Sabarimala temple in January this year, said, “A man sprayed chilli and pepper on my face.” The incident took place outside the Ernakulam city police commissioner’s office today morning.

8:12 am: Bindu Ammini allegedly attacked outside Kochi commissioner office. She has alleged that someone threw chilli powder on her and that person is being protected by the authorities.

8:10 am: Preparing for her planned visit to the Sabarimala temple, Trupti Desai said on Tuesday morning, “We will visit Sabarimala temple today on Constitution Day. Neither the state government nor the police can stop us from visiting the temple. Whether we get security or not we will visit the temple today.”

8 am: Trupti Desai landed at the Kochi airport around 4 am for a second attempt at visiting the Sabarimala temple from which the Supreme Court had last year lifted a ban on the entry of women of menstruating age. On November 16, Trupti Desai made her first attempt to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple when she faced massive protests at the Kochi airport. She had to go back.

She was allegedly denied hotel rooms for their stay in Kerala and was subjected to fierce criticism.

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) had even lodged a complaint against Trupti Desai and others for hurting religious sentiments. Advocate KP Prakash Babu, state president of BJYM, filed the complaint at Nedumbassery police station and alleged that Desai is attempting to incite communal violence by challenging belief and traditions of the devotees.

Amid protests over women trying to enter the temple, the Supreme Court has decided to refer review pleas against its judgement to a larger bench following which the state government has adopted a cautious approach and made it clear that Sabarimala was not a place for activism.

Kerala Police has stopped several women and young girls from trying to enter the temple since the beginning of the pilgrim season in November.