Devotees at the annadanam at Ayyappa temple. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Jan. 14: Though the controversy over the ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years at Sabarimala temple in Kerala still awaits a decision in the Supreme Court, but South Indian women settled here seemed to have accepted a win.

They, most in the prohibited age group, were found decorating the main shrine atop the 18 holy steps of the temple of Lord Ayyappa at Jagjivan Nagar today on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, the auspicious day for the Hindus.

The temple here is only a small replica of the original. “A number of both men and women devotees from different communities gather for a darshan of the idol at the temple, so there are no strict rules for anyone, said T. Raju, a senior member of the Ayyappan Temple Committee of Dhanbad.

Hundreds of devotees, comprising people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and local residents, gathered there to worship the idol this evening. The shrine was decorated with over 24 brass diyas of various shapes with several wicks and the floor was carpeted with petals of marigold while roses and tuberoses (rajnigandha) adorned the deity.

To undertake a climb to Sabarimala temple and worship Lord Ayyappa, one has to follow a strict regime of 41 days. It is because the lord, an offspring of Mohini (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and Lord Shiva, is a bachelor. At the Ayyappa temple here, the secretary of the temple committee, Haridas, said the devotees, from the day of the beginning of the festival on November 17 till today, have been observing each day religiously. Today, they are at the temple since dawn and remained there till the last prayers late in the night at 10.30 pm.

The morning puja started with mahagnapathi homam (praise of Lord Ganesha) at 4.30 am followed by abhishekam (crowning of the Lord). Then came the ushapuja, uchcha puja and attara puja till 10 pm. The temple committee also arranged for an elaborate annadanam (feast) — the offerings to the deity for the devotees and poor in the locality in the afternoon.