The Maharashtra government will facilitate talks between activists and authorities of the Shani Shingnapur Temple, Minister of State for Home, Ram Shinde, said on Tuesday. The announcement came after the police stopped a group of around 350 women who were planning to enter the temple in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, which only allows men inside its inner sanctum. "Women have always been given independence to worship in Indian traditions and Hindu religion," said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The protesting women were earlier detained by the police, and later released. President of the group, Trupti Desai, said it was a "black day" for women, adding, "Hum mahilaon ko kyun roka ja raha hai? Hum ye nahi sahenge [Why are women being stopped? We will not tolerate this]."

Earlier, the police had imposed Section 144 (unlawful assembly) in the area around the temple as a precautionary measure, where the women planned to hold their agitation. Hindustan Times reported that locals had formed a human chain and barred entry to the temple.

The temple, which is visited by millions of pilgrims each year from India and abroad, has no walls around it. It has a five-foot-tall black stone on a platform surrounded by a railing, where women are not allowed to enter. Groups supporting the temple’s rules say women will be affected by the strong vibrations from the shrine associated with planet Saturn and Lord Vishnu.

The controversy surrounding the entry of women into the shrine began on November 28 after a woman climbed the platform inside the temple, where the idol is kept. Ironically, the temple trust recently appointed its first female president, Anita Shete. The Indian Express reported that Shete has promised to back religious groups and not allow tradition to be violated.