npr:

A third woman has crossed the threshold into the sacred Hindu Sabarimala temple in southern India, defying a centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age — between the ages of 10 and 50 — from entering the shrine, according to Reuters.

The act comes just days after two other women were able to get in, which threw the state of Kerala into violent protests for two days.

The woman, a 46-year-old Sri Lankan national identified by NDTV as Sasikala, entered the temple with her husband on Thursday, reports NPR’s Mumbai correspondent Lauren Frayer. “According to ancient tradition, the Sabarimala Temple doesn’t admit women old enough to menstruate. The temple is dedicated to a celibate deity,” she said.

The India Supreme Court in September ruled the ban violated gender discrimination laws, and ordered the temple to admit women of all ages immediately. After the ruling, hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out to block women from entering the temple, NPR has reported. Some even blocked roads to the temple, checking cars for anyone female.

3rd Woman Enters Sacred Hindu Temple In Southern India Amid Protests

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