PAMBA: Two reporters the New York Times, who managed to reach Pamba and take the pathway to Sabarimala temple at around 7:30 on Thursday morning, were forced to return following a massive protest by devotees who don’t want women of reproductive age to enter the temple, a tradition that has been in existence for centuries.

Delhi-based Suhasini Raj, along with her colleague Kal Shwaz, a foreign national, managed to go past the Pamba gateway. A few policemen also had accompanied her. In the midway, angry devotees formed a human wall before her, chanting saranam. They shouted at her, asking for her age.

According to witnesses, the protesters forced the two journalists to return, though they showed their identity card and said they were not going for darshan but to report for their paper.

On Wednesday, the protesters clashed with the police and roughed up women journalists as the pilgrimage season opened. Protesters inspected buses, stopped women from going near the temple, attacked journalists, damaged media vehicles and threw stones at the police. The police also had to resort to lathi charge.

Later, Suhasini told media that though the police tried their best to give them protection but the crowd of protestors were very aggressive. “We decided to return as they started pelting stones and hurling abuses. We also didn’t want to hurt the religious sentiments of the people,” she said.