Following is the chronology of events in which the Supreme Court Friday paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala:
*1990: S Mahendran files plea in Kerala High Court seeking ban on women's entry to temple.
*Apr 5, 1991: Kerala HC upholds age-old restriction on women of a certain age-group entering the temple.
*Aug 4, 2006: Indian Young Lawyers Association files plea in SC seeking to ensure entry of female devotees between the age group of 10 to 50 at the Lord Ayappa Temple at Sabarimala.
*Nov 2007: LDF government of Kerala files affidavit supporting PIL questioning ban on women's entry.
*Jan 11, 2016: Two-judge bench of SC questions practice banning entry of women at the temple.
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*Feb 6: Congress led UDF government takes U-turn, tells SC it is duty bound to "protect the right to practice the religion of these devotees".
*Apr 11: SC says gender justice endangered by ban on women.
*Apr 13: SC says tradition can't justify ban on women's entry.
*Apr 21: Hind Navotthana Pratishtan and Narayanashrama Tapovanam files plea in SC supporting entry of women.
*Nov 7: LDF government files fresh affidavit in SC saying it favoured the entry of women of all age groups.
*Oct 13, 2017: SC refers the case to constitution bench.
*Oct 27: Plea filed in SC for gender-equal bench to hear the case.
*Jul 17, 2018: Five-judge constitution bench starts hearing the matter.
*Jul 19: SC says women have fundamental right to enter the temple and questioned the rationale behind the age group.
*Jul 24: SC made it clear that the ban on entry of women would be tested on "constitutional ethos".
*Jul 25: Nair Service Society tells SC the celibate nature of Sabarimala temple's presiding deity Lord Ayyappa is protected by the Constitution.
*Jul 26: SC observes it can't remain oblivious to ban on entry of women as they were barred on "physiological ground" of menstruation.
*Jul 31: SC says constitutional scheme prohibiting exclusion has "some value" in a "vibrant democracy".
*Aug 1: SC reserves verdict.
*Sep 28: SC, in 4:1 verdict, allows entry of women in Sabrimala temple, says banning females' entry into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women.
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