In Brief
The case concerns the constitutional validity of rules restricting the entry of women aged 10 to 50 years into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The petitioners challenged this exclusion as violating Articles 14, 15, 25, and 26 of the Constitution. The High Court of Kerala had previously upheld the restriction as a religious custom essential to the temple's faith tradition. The Supreme Court, examining substantial constitutional questions—including whether biological-based exclusion of women constitutes unlawful discrimination, whether the practice is an essential religious practice, and whether Rule 3(b) of the governing rules is ultra vires—found the issues required consideration by a larger Constitution Bench and remanded the matter accordingly.
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