List of places where women are banned in India

At many places in India, women have been banned to go inside temples for various reasons. In some places, women are banned where the idol of Lord Shiva is placed on an open-air platform. According to the Supreme Court, women cannot be denied entry into temples on the grounds of equality under the Constitution.

Let's look at some of the places where women are banned in India:

Sabarimala: It is a Hindu pilgrimage in Kerala and is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world with over 100 million devotees visiting every year. Females who are in their menstrual age, i.e. between 12 and 50 years age, are prohibited entry in the temple.

Haji Ali Dargah: It is a tomb located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by over 40,000 pilgrims. According to reports, women are restricted entry in the shrine since it would be 'un-islamic under the sharia law'.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Considered as the richest Hindu temple in the world, Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The women can pray in the temple but they are not allowed to enter the vault of the riches.

Kartikeya Temple: Located in Pehowa, Haryana, Kartikeya Temple is a famous temple dedicated to Hindu deity-Kartikeya. Women are strictly forbidden in the temple which celebrates the brahmachari form of Lord Kartikeya

Patbausi Satra: Satras are institutional centres that hold an importance in Ekasarana tradition. According to the popular belief, women aren't allowed inside the temple in order to preserve the purity of the place.

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Some evidences of Indian mythology that exist in the real world:

Vimanas: As mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Vimanas were flying palaces and chariots which were flown by the Gods. In the past decade, archaelogists have found many evidences which suggest the truth in the existence of 'Vimanas' and many references have been made in the popular culture as well.

City of Dwarka: A city in the state of Gujarat, Dwarka is one of the seven oldest cities in the world. Dwarka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna, which was later destroyed by the sea. After thousands of years, people have found samples and establishments which date back to the 3000 BC.

Ram Sethu: It is also Adam's Bridge and Rama's Bridge. As mentioned in Ramayana, Ram Sethu is the bridge that Lord Rama made to reach the island kingdom of Ravana in Lanka. The bridge has now gone underwater but is still visible.

Jwala Devi Temple: The temple is located in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. The temple has a set of flames which is always burning. As the legend goes, when Hindu goddess, Dakshayani's body was divided into 51 parts, the goddess' tongue fell here.

Hanuman Garhi: Hanuman Garhi is a temple of Lord Hanuman in Ayodhya. According to the beliefs, Lord Hanuman waited there patiently when Lord Rama was in exile

Nidhivan: Vrindavan is one of the places which is related to Lord Krishna and Nidhivan is one of the mysterious places in Vrindavan. Lord Krishna performs Raas Leela every night in Nidhivan. As the legend goes, if someone goes to Nidhivan after sunset to see something, they turn blind, deaf, dumb or even die in some cases.

Janki Temple: It is a Hindu temple in Nepal. According to the legend, King Janak, father of Sita (also referred as Janaki) ruled the area. After her 'swayamvar', Sita married Lord Rama in the temple in the area. As per the beliefs, Sita was also said to have lived there and later, a temple was made in her name. Sita's golden statues and her images were also said to be found in the temple.

Amarnath Temple: It is a temple in Jammu and Kashmir which has been dedicated to Shiva. As per the legends, Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvati. There is a Shiva Linga in the temple which is made up of ice. The worshippers believe that the lingam grows and shrinks according to the phases of the moon though there is no scientific evidence for the phenomena.

Nuclear War in Mahabharata: There are certain beliefs that an atomic bomb was used in the war of Mahabharata and many evidences have been found around the Indus, majorly in the region of Mohenjodaro, now Pakistan.