A Sabarimala devotees’ group has “requested” news organisations not to send women journalists to cover developments at the Kerala hill shrine now in the middle of a raging row over entry of women of child-bearing age.

The Sabarimala Karma Samiti, whose patrons are leaders of right-wing organisations, made the request in a letter that cited people’s sentiments.

“The whole issue is about the adamant stand of the state government in forcibly bringing in young women aged between 10 and 50 years, which is against the age-old traditions and customs of the Sabarimala temple,” the group said in its letter to media houses.

“Even entry of women journalists from media belonging to this age group as part of their job is also likely to aggravate the situation,” the Samiti said.

The temple to “celibate” god Ayyappa is set to open for 29 hours from 5pm on Monday for a one-day ritual called Sree Chithra Atta Thirunal. It would open again for the pilgrimage season that starts on November 16 and ends in the middle of January.

Samiti general convener S.J.R. Kumar, the Kerala state chief of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, told The Telegraph that the letter was by no means a direction to media houses.

“It is only a humble request to consider the feelings of lakhs of devotees who might feel offended if their traditions are affected,” he said.

“We all know what happened on October 16 and 17,” he added, citing the attack on young women journalists at Nilakkal, 23km from the temple.

At least four women journalists were attacked by activists who had thronged the area to prevent the entry of young women after the state government decided to enforce the Supreme Court’s September 28 order that lifted a centuries-old temple ban on women in the menstruating age of 10 to 50.

While the activists had dragged out women who tried to enter the shrine, the temple’s priests had threatened a shutdown.

Kumar blamed the state government for “adding to the tension” with a heavy deployment of police forces from a place 24km from the temple.

“Writ petitions and review petitions (against the September verdict) are anyway coming up in the Supreme Court on November 13,” he said. “So what’s the point in creating such a tense situation?”

Asked why groups like the Samiti were bent on not allowing young women despite the court order, Kumar said: “It’s a matter of belief and customs that we cannot change overnight.”

K.P. Sasikala Teacher, the firebrand president of the Hindu Aikyavedi who is part of the Samiti, said if young women stayed away from the temple it would contribute to peace.

“On October 16, I had seen even policemen trying to stop some women journalists at Nilakkal. That is the general tradition of the temple and its belief system,” she told this newspaper, justifying the Samiti’s “request”.

Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said all measures were in place. “We are basically complying with the court order. So we need to maintain law and order and provide security to devotees… There is adequate police deployment, so everyone will be able to enter the temple and pray without any impediments,” he said in Kochi.

While 1,200 police personnel were deployed on Saturday, the number is likely to rise to more than 2,000, sources said.

Journalists will be allowed to pass Nilakkal and reach Pampa, 5km from the temple, from 8.30pm on Sunday. Devotees will be allowed only from 8am on Monday.