New Delhi, Nov 14 (TIWN) The Supreme Court on Thursday referred the issue of entry of women into Sabarimala temple and other religious places to a larger seven-judge bench.

The ruling had drawn the ire of conservative Hindu sections and thrown the temple management and the Kerala government into a tizzy.

The decision comes days ahead of the next pilgrimage season beginning November 16. The temple rules disallowed women in their reproductive phases -- when they were at the menstruating phase from entering the temple on the ground that the presiding deity was a complete brahmachari.

This was challenged by activists and organisations in the top court on the ground that it was violative of the concept of gender justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution.

The case saw many twists and turns with the state government initially opposing and later coming around, under the Left government, to the view that women cannot be denied entry under the Constitution into a public place like a temple.

A five-judge bench, led by former CJI Dipak Misra, eventually struck down the rules as discriminatory of women’s right to equality and worship on Sept 28, 2018.

In doing so, the court had shrugged of the temple management’s claim that the practice has been in existence for centuries and should be left alone.

The management had argued that the followers of Lord Ayappa (Lord Vishnu) in his bachelor form a different sect of Hindus and have the right to practice and profess their religion as per their practices.