NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an early hearing to review petitions filed against its verdict allowing entry for women of all ages in Kerala’s internationally famous Sabarimala temple.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said that the temple will be open for 24 hours on 5 and 6 November and that court has already fixed the matter for hearing on November 13, four days ahead of the commencement of the Mandalam pilgrimage season.

Earlier, the court had noted that there were 19 review petitions pending in the matter, filed by National Ayyappa Devotees Association and others seeking a review of its verdict.

The Supreme court, on September 28, had revoked an age-old tradition which restricts entry of menstruating women between age 10 and 50 into the Lord Ayyappa temple by a majority verdict of 4:1. It said that the ban on women in the menstruating age group, whose presence at the Sabarimala temple was considered to be "impure", breached their fundamental rights and the constitutional guarantee of equality.

Several protests took place after the verdict, with close to 4,000 people being arrested. A dozen women were also forced to retreat when they tried to enter the temple.

The petitioner had asked the apex court to consider the review petition in light of recent developments in Sabarimala and the tension existing there.