INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightDhanya SanalImage caption
Dhanya Sanal was the first woman to scale the peak
A woman has
climbed a mountain in India, where only men were allowed until now for religious reasons
Dhanya Sanal's ascent to the summit of Agasthyakoodam in southern Kerala state came after a court ruling in November.Local tribespeople
oppose women climbing it because of its statue of a Hindu sage associated with celibacy
Ms Sanal, 38, told the TheIndianSubcontinent she had not been stopped by locals or protesters
Campaigners say it's a victory in the fight to end gender discrimination.Ms Sanal said she had been "ready to turn back" if tribespeople
stopped her, but while she did encounter protesters, she said they had not prevented her from continuing her trek
In November, the high court in Kerala ruled that women could trek to the 1,868m (6,128ft) peak
The court said that restrictions on trekking could not be based on gender after a women's group petitioned the court
The group welcomed Ms Sanal's climb
"We have moved one step ahead in ending gender discrimination in Kerala," Divya Divakaran, one of its members, told the
Image copyrightSali PalodeImage caption
Agasthyakoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala
Located
within a biosphere reserve in India's Western Ghats, Agasthyakoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala.The high court rejected the claim
made by tribespeople, who live at the foothills, that the verdict hurt their beliefs
They had said they worshipped the sage, Agastya, and did not want women in the vicinity of his idol as that amounted to disrespecting his
The terrain is steep and rocky and the trail is inside a thick forest
Trekkers often take two or three days to scale the peak
"It is extremely tough terrain that demands extra physical fitness," Ms Sanal told the Times of India newspaper.She was the only woman in a
The group was accompanied by two female forest officials
Officials told the TheIndianSubcontinent that more than 100 women had registered for treks in the coming weeks
Image copyrightSali PalodeImage caption
Local tribespeople revere the sage whose idol is at the peak
Earlier this month, two women made history in Kerala by entering a prominent Hindu shrine, following months of protests against their entry
The Sabarimala temple was historically closed to women of "menstruating age" - defined as between 10 and 50
Devotees believe that the deity is an avowed bachelor and the ban was in keeping with his wishes
Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals.The women's entry to the shrine
prompted massive protests across Kerala
One of the two women is recovering in hospital after her mother-in-law allegedly attacked her for entering the temple.Despite India's
Supreme Court overturning the ban on women, Hindu devotees have continued to protest at the site
On Wednesday, protesters barred two more women from entering the temple, officials said.
