A 38-year-old woman from Thiruvananthapuram became the woman first to trek to the Agasthyakoodam peak, after The Kerala High Court removed the restrictions that disallowed women to go on the trek.

38-year-old Dhanya Sanal, who is a deputy director in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, she was the only woman in their batch that had 100 trekkers. The journey was 22km that would let them reach the 1,868m peak.

Dhanya Sanal said: “The journey is to understand the forest more and share the unique experience with others.”

Y M Shaji Kumar the Warden of Thiruvananthapuram’s Wildlife said that the journey started by 9:15 am at Bonakkad. He also said that there is a woman forest official that is accompanying them, this is just for safety enhancements, he added.

Among 4,700 trekkers, 100 women have registered their names for the said trek. For the next 47 days, a batch that consists of 100 trekkers will be sent every day, this is organized by the State Forest Department.

Dhanya Sanal is originally from the Malappuram District, she registered her name on January 6 for the Agasthyakoodam trek. She is also a Nursing Graduate who joined the Indian Information Service back in 2012.

The government released a statement on their defense of why they did not allow women to go on the trek, they said that women were not allowed to go so far was because of the treacherous terrain.             But according to the Kani Tribals, they have been worshiping Sage Agasthya, that’s where the hill got its name from. Also, the Kani Tribals claim that it is better if women would not go anywhere near the temple that is located in the top hill.

On Monday, around 200 people from the Kani Community protested the presence of Sanal, after they recited prayers they went away and let the first woman trekker move on.

President of Agasthyakoodam Kshetra Kanikkar Trust said: “We protested against the entry of women by reciting prayers today. We are planning to move an appeal in High Court against the single-bench verdict that allowed women to undertake the trek.”

The leader of the Kani Tribe said: “We worship Agasthya Muni, who is believed to reside at the peak. Like Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala shrine, Agasthya Muni is an eternal celibate, so women were not permitted to the peak to protect the tradition and bedrock of our faith. We believe misfortune will fall on women who get to the peak.”

Shaji Kumar the Wildlife Warden said that basic safety facilities have been arranged for trekkers at both Athirumala and Bonakkad. He added, that the department has requested only those people who are physically fit to go on the trek.