WATCH: 'Unclean' female activist pepper sprayed for daring to enter Hindu temple

Bindu Ammini came to Kerala's Kochi to attempt a trek to Sabarimala temple

A man pepper sprayed a female activist in the south Indian state of Kerala for attempting a trek to the controversial Sabarimala Temple in Kochi.

Bindu Ammini, the activist in question, was among the first women to enter the temple of the 'celibate Hindu deity' that traditionally barred women of 'menstruating' age.

Their visit, in January this year, was made possible following a decision by India's Supreme Court in 2018 that overturned the decades-old ban by religious authorities that forbid women from entering one of the holiest Hindu temples in the country.

But her latest trip did not go down as planned, as she was attacked outside the office of the police commissioner, according to NDTV.

In the mobile phone video of the attack, which has since gone viral, Bindu Ammini is seen shielding her face and running away from the man who attacked her with the pepper spray.

The man is seen fleeing from the compound as the orange mist of the potent self-defence weapon burns her.

She was taken to a hospital, and then to an undisclosed location by the police.

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Activist Trupti Desai has also come to the southern state again for another shot at making it to the hilltop shrine of Lord Ayyappa, nestled in the Western Ghats.

Five more women, including Desai, plan to trek to the shrine today.

Desai, who the Kerala government said will not get any security cover, landed at Kochi airport this morning.

"We'll visit Sabarimala temple today on Constitution Day. Neither state government nor police can stop us from visiting the temple. Whether we get security or not we will visit the temple today," she said.

"I will leave Kerala only after offering prayers at the shrine," she added.

The six women including Desai are inside the City Police Commissioner's office in Kochi.

Ammini was attacked while a group of right-wing workers were protesting at the site.

The Kerala government had promised it would provide security to women who want to walk to the temple from the nearest base camp in Pamba, some five kilometres away.

Divisive issue

The Supreme Court in 2018 allowed women of all ages to enter the temple had angered devotees of the celibate God. Part of the violent opposition to the order is because protesters feel the ruling goes against the wishes of the deity, Lord Ayappa, himself.

Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals.

The issue also divided the five-judge apex court bench that gave the verdict.

According to the BBC, Indu Malhotra, the only woman judge on the bench, disagreed with the majority verdict.

"Issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily interfered by the court... Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion," she said in her dissenting opinion.

Women have been demanding entry into the temple for decades. But in 2016, a controversial statement by the temple's chief gave fresh impetus to the protest.

Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that he would allow women to enter only after a machine was invented to detect if they were "pure" - meaning that they weren't menstruating.