Because India is a religious country, the issue of women approaching secure areas at holy sites such as Shani Shingnapur, Sabarimala, and Ayyappa temples has become a major topic across the region. But did you realise that there are areas of religion in India within which men are not allowed to enter at all or only on certain weeks and situations? Yes, there are temples in which only women are permitted. So, let’s find out what the temple’s name is and what the possible explanation or faith behind the confinements is!
Here are 5 temples in India where men are not permitted, either entirely or even during specific times of the year, for many different reasons –
-
Kerala’s Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala organises a celebration dominated by women. All through Attukal Pongala, the major celebration here is that the temple transforms into a religious community of thousands of female worshippers, so huge that it was marked in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest single gathering of women for a religious activity. The 10-day celebration is organised between February and March.
-
Kanyakumari’s Kumari Amman Temple
Maa Bhagawati Durga is accommodated in the sanctuary of the Kumari Amman temple in Kanyakumari. The monastery only allows secular men or principal components to join until the temple entrance. Married men, on the other hand, are not allowed to visit the grounds. This temple is thought to be the location in which Mata Parvati performed preparation to win Lord Shiva as her husband. Kanyakumari Kanya Temple is only visited by women.
-
Muzaffarnagar’s Mata Temple
A Shakti Sthal, like the Kamakhya Temple in Assam, forbids men from attempting to enter the temple grounds when the Goddess is thought to be menstruating. Throughout this period, the monastery administration also restricts entry to women only. The rules are so rigorously enforced here that even a male pastor is not permitted to enter the temple venue during this opportune moment, and it becomes a ‘women only’ zone.
-
Assam’s Kamakhya Temple
It may be the most well-known from Indian temples, where men are not permitted to enter the grounds at certain times of the year. This Shakti Peeth, located on the Nilachal Hills in west Guwahati, Assam, is also known for having the magnificent Ambubachi Mela, which draws thousands of worshippers from all across the world. During this time, the temple’s door remains closed for four days. Throughout those days, the Goddess is said to menstruate. Men are not permitted to enter the temple during this celebration, and only female monks or sanyasis are permitted to represent the temple during those days.
-
Rajasthan’s Brahmaji Temple
The Brahmaji temple in Rajasthan is among the most important temples dedicated to Lord Brahma. Married men are not permitted to enter this 14th-century temple. Lord Brahma, as per religious texts, executed a yagna at Pushkar Lake. He had to do this in front of his wife, Goddess Saraswati. But, Goddess Saraswati was late, he married Goddess Gayatri and performed the ceremony. The temple was tormented by the enraged Goddess Saraswati. She doomed that no married man be permitted to join the inner circle, or else his marital life would be troubled.
To conclude the majority of the best eight five temples in India where men are not permitted, there are plenty more mysterious temples where men are not permitted to enter the hallowed halls of the temples. Plan a visit to any of these temples and learn more about our country’s unique customs and heritage.
