Plainclothes police personnel gave the woman and her family covert security.

The Kerala police confirmed that a 46-year-old Sri Lankan woman offered prayers at the sanctum in Sabarimala temple on late Thursday.

The Police identified the woman as Sasikala, daughter of Asok Kumaran, who holds a Sri Lankan passport. Her passport gave her date of birth as December 3, 1972.

Officers said Ms. Sasikala had walked up the “18 Holy Steps” without any hindrance and offered her prayers at the sanctum. They said her relatives accompanied her. “She finished her darshan at around 9.30 p.m. and reached Pampa safely by 11 p.m," sources told The Hindu.

Also Read Sabarimala issue: Hartal catches Kerala in a vortex of violence

The police said the woman had booked her darshan time in advance. Ms Sasikala and her family had used the electronic queue system devised by the police and had sent her age-related records early.

A senior police officer said plainclothes officers, including women, gave Ms. Sasikala and her family covert security. The squads, however, did not make their presence or the security cover visible.

In the meantime, workers of the Sabarimala Karma Samathi (SKS), the right-wing outfit spearheading the protests against women of menstruating age entering the temple, have turned back a woman, identified as Deepa, midway at Marakootam on the 4 km uphill trek to Sabarimala temple.

Subsequently the incident was verified by the police. Read the report here