Though the question is for Balaji, I'm tempted to scribble a few lines. Hope at least a few would agree that people existed in this part of the world before 26th January 1950 too! Society comes before laws. Society is nothing but 'group living' with common ideas , ideals, customs, traditions and faiths. These beliefs are normally not coded and engraved but carried on for generations with additions and deletions. In such a scenario, some may be good in the eyes of the majority and some may not be so for the rest.

Till no man, no civilization has perfected a way for a 'perfect life'. Each culture claims of superiority over others around the world since time immemorial and would be doing so as long as the humans continue to occupy the earth. In the instant case, the majority of the society in South India is not ready to accept Iyyappan as a God. Here the societal questions and reviews are on and the matter ends there.

A few ( it goes into Lakhs as the people who reject are in millions) men who had to walk for 40 miles into deep jungles and climb hills had established some tradition of visiting it every year. Over the centuries, many customs have surrounded the practice. The intentions of the early worshipers were simple. It's impossible for women in those days to risk their lives and walk for miles on an arduous path. Hence, they have avoided. Lord Iyyappan is nothing but Iyyanar of Tamil land and almost every major village has got an Iyyanar temple. Even in all these village temples, women avoid going there and all these are voluntary and no-one is there to enforce temple rituals.

There are thousand other restrictions and practices followed in thousands of places of worship. I think Law can't enter everywhere. Why only men priests in Triplicane or in Tirumala? (Discrimination of women) Why men have to go with an angavastra in some temples? Why in many temples only women are allowed and not men? Why only coconuts and why not palm fruits? Why only cow dung is considered sacred and why not buffaloes '? Why a peacock and a crow? Why not men in sarees as women have switched over to men's attire? Questioning, ridiculing customs are very easy, but not answering it.

I believe traditions and faiths are better left to the society. Good or bad, every society has got its inherent strength and structure to upgrade, downgrade or introduce and eliminate over a period of time. Time is the greatest leveller and healer.

Let us all remember that

The best literature, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best building, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best musical composition, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best dance forms, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best dance yoga forms, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best architecture, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best forts, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best crafts , which we all claim 'best' still,

The best food variety, which we all claim 'best' still,

The best environment conservation , which we all claim 'best' still,

The best water management techniques , which we all claim 'best' still,

…all existed before 1947 or 1950 too. Don't dump every past practice into the dump yard. Let the time decide it.