A women’s group had vowed to break the age-old custom of the temple, where women were not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. Activist Trupti Desai was detained by police on Friday after she entered the Trimbakeshwar temple, which does not allow women devotees to offer prayers inside, in Nashik.

Activist Trupti Desai detained by police after she entered Trimbakeshwar Temple (Maharashtra) and offered prayers pic.twitter.com/PnEAdbcEK5

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 25, 2016

Desai was arrested along with other women from Bhumata Brigade when they tried to head towards the Trimbakeshwar temple where women entry is restricted. “We offered prayers to Lord Shiva at Trimbakeshwar temple and prayed that women be allowed in the temple’s sanctum. We are inside the temple that is itself a very big thing,” said Desai.

Despite several attempts, temple authorities refused to change the rule, citing that no objection had ever been raised on previous occasions. Local women too protested as Desai entered the temple. The temple trust, however, says the ban on the entry of women is based on tradition and claimed that no objection has ever been raised on the issue.