The Sabarimala temple on Saturday flagged off a two-month pilgrimage season but a cautious Kerala government refused to allow visits by women of childbearing age, defying a directive from two Supreme Court judges and reversing its own year-old stand.

All arriving private and public vehicles were searched and women of childbearing age told they would not be allowed to go beyond the Pamba base camp, from where the hill shrine is a 4.5km trek.

A five-judge constitution bench had by 3:2 majority on Thursday referred to a seven-judge bench a September 2018 verdict quashing the centuries-old ban on women aged 10 to 50 entering the shrine. But the two dissenting judges emphasised that last year’s judgment had not been stayed and asked the state to enforce it.

However, the Left government, which had facilitated women’s entry during the pilgrimage seasons last autumn and winter in the face of violent opposition from Sangh parivar activists, has chosen caution this time.

The state advocate-general has apparently advised the government against allowing women from the proscribed age group to visit the temple till a seven-judge bench decides the review petitions against the September 2018 order.

The leader of a progressive group in Kerala expressed disappointment at the government’s turnaround, saying it “will weaken progressive movements”.

Punnala Sreekumar, convener of the Navothana Samrakshana Samithi (Renaissance Protection Forum), hoped the government would “reconsider” its position.

Devaswom (temple affairs) minister Kadakampally Surendran welcomed the criticism, saying: “We accept criticism on our position on the Supreme Court verdict.”

He, however, added without elaborating: “The government has taken a stand based on facts. Not everyone can understand that.”

Hundreds of pilgrims began the hilly trek in the afternoon, with the first batch entering the temple after it opened at 5pm.

The arrival of a few young women from Andhra Pradesh had created a flutter at Pamba in the morning, but the police stopped them from going to the temple.

An official of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which governs the temple, said: “Everything is peaceful here.”

Dozens of would-be women pilgrims from the proscribed age group had registered with the temple authorities during the pilgrimage seasons between October 2018 and January this year.

But despite the police providing them escorts, they came under stone attacks during the jungle trek and faced threats from hecklers inside the temple premises. Parivar activists clashed with the police across the district.

Overall, only about 10 to 12 women of childbearing age managed to enter the temple premises and fewer made it to the sanctum sanctorum.

This time, some 56 women of childbearing age had applied for registration but the temple authorities, in a reflection of the government stand, have held their pleas in abeyance. However, Chennai-based women’s rights group Manithi Sangham is said to be gearing for an entry bid by young women.

Both the Congress and the BJP had initially welcomed the September 2018 judgment before making quick about-turns when the Left government decided to enforce the verdict.