Trupti Desai at Kochi airport. Photo: Jipson Sikhera

KOCHI: Activist Trupti Desai on Friday arrived at Kochi airport in keeping with her decision to climb to pray in Sabarimala. She arrived by an Indigo flight at 4.35am at Cochin International Airport. She leads a six-member woman team that has been waiting for a taxi.

The temple opens Friday evening, for the third time since the apex court verdict on September 28 allowed women of all age group to offer prayers at the hilltop Lord Ayyappa temple though none could do so following stiff resistance from devotees and activists, opposing any change in the temple traditions.

Though Kerala police have provided security at the airport, she has not been able to move out of the airport as protesters of BJP-RSS gather outside the airport.

When asked, police said that she wanted to go to Kottayam and from there to Sabarimala.

She had asked the state government to provide security for her to reach Sannidhanam. However, police had said that they would give normal protection and not special protection. Police then told her to arrange taxi to leave airport.

But she can't leave the airport as online taxi operators have refused to take her citing security reasons. They say that their vehicle would be attacked. Police have asked her to make her own arrangements.

Meanwhile, BJP and RSS protesters are sitting in protest outside the airport. They say that she will not be allowed to leave airport. They are sitting and singing hymns of Ayyappa. But slowly the tone of protests have begun to change.

Meanwhile, police have informed protesters that she will be escorted out of airport as her online taxi has been booked. But her safety is of concern as more and more protesters are coming to airport.

She came to disturb a peaceful Sabarimala pilgrim season: Proteters

Protesters alleged that Desai and her team came here to violate the centuries--old custom of the temple that prevents entry of women and girls in the age group of 10 and 50, PTI adds .

"She (Desai) came here not for darshan but for disturbing a peaceful Sabarimala pilgrim season beginning Saturday," they said.

The Ayyappa devotees comprising women and BJP workers, assembled in large numbers outside the airport, continued their protest chanting Ayyappa mantra.

Talking to media over phone, Desai said she would not go back to Maharashtra without a darshan at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Desai, who spearheaded the campaign for women to be allowed into various religious places, including Shani Shingnapur temple, the Haji Ali Dargah, the Mahalakshmi Temple and the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, had sent an email to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking security as she fears an attack on her life during her visit to the hill shrine.

"We will not return to Maharashtra without darshan at the Sabarimala temple.We have faith in the government that it will provide security for us," she had said.

"It is the responsibility of the state government and the police to provide protection and take us to the temple as the Supreme Court has allowed women of all ages to offer prayers at the shrine," she added.

