“Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante Tatra Devtaah.”

It is said in the scriptures that where women are respected, God resides there.

Whenever we talk about entry into temples in India, the controversy usually goes in one direction. We hear about restrictions imposed on women. We hear about court cases. We talk about equality versus tradition.

Who are ‘Rangadhari’? Whose Prasad is not given even to the married daughters of the house! Know the truth behind this?

But there is another side to this story, which is rarely talked about. Do you know that there are some temples in India where men are not allowed to enter certain places, and in some cases they are not allowed to enter at all during specific rituals.

You will not see any kind of protest outside these temples. Not even any kind of viral hashtag, the rules are known which everyone respects and follows without protest.

Attukal Bhagavathi Temple, Kerala

Attukal Bhagwati Temple: This temple located in Kerala is usually called Sabarimala of women. During the famous Attukal Pongal festival, lakhs of women gather to make offerings to the goddess. Roads turn into sacred kitchens. The fire rises together. During this time, lakhs of women devotees gather here.

During this ritual the men step aside. The reason for this is symbolic. The goddess is worshiped in her fierce and protective form and the ritual is designed as a collective expression of feminine energy. Men are not excluded from the temple because of hostility, but because they are not part of that particular spiritual expression. For those few hours that place is completely women’s.

Chakkulathukavu Temple, Kerala

Every year a unique incident happens in the Chakkulathukavu temple of Kerala. During Nari Puja, women are considered as goddesses and worshiped. The chief priest of the temple symbolically washes the feet of the female devotees.

In this ritual the traditional power structure is inverted. Generally, men get more rights than women in the society. But here the role of women is important at the centre. She is not only worshiped, but she is also worshiped as a goddess.

Brahma Temple of Pushkar, Rajasthan

Brahma temple is located in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Although men can also visit this temple, married men are not allowed to worship at certain places of worship. There is a mythological story behind this.

According to the story related to the temple, Mother Saraswati became very angry during a yagya being performed by Brahma. Due to this story, married men were completely banned from performing certain rituals in this temple. These rules have been in place for centuries.

Maa Kamakhya Temple, Assam

Maa Kamakhya Temple located in Assam is one of the most powerful Peethas of India. In this temple the goddess is not worshiped in human form, but as a form of respect for a natural stone structure, which represents the feminine womb.

Every year the temple is closed for three days during the Ambubachi fair. This period symbolizes the menstrual cycle of the goddess. When the temple reopens, devotees celebrate the fertility and creative power of nature.

Although there is no permanent ban on men, these rituals are deeply focused on feminine creation and sacred fertility. The message is quite powerful. In a society where menstruation is often considered a stigma, this temple considers it sacred.

Santoshi Mata Temple Vrindavan

Santoshi Mata Temple Vrindavan Women represent ritual functions in local temples. On certain days, men are not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum.

Santoshi Mata is widely worshiped by women observing Friday fast for the welfare and well-being of the family. This ban is more related to devotional culture than a formal prohibition.

Bhagwati Temple, Tamil Nadu

Some Bhagwati temples in Tamil Nadu, South India have rituals in which men are not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum during certain ceremonies. The goddess is worshiped as a virgin goddess, who is a symbol of purity, independence and self-reliant power.

These boundaries reinforce the symbolic identity of the goddess. This does not mean at all that humans are impure. Rather, the ritual represents a sacred vow or state of the goddess.

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