Sentinel Digital Desk
Being a temple that has a male God as the presiding deity, married men are barred from entering the sanctum sanctorum to offer their prayers to the Lord.
During Attukal Pongala i.e the main festival celebrated, the temple turns into a congregation of millions of women devotees that once it figured in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the single largest gathering of women for a religious activity.
During ambubachi, it is believed that the Goddess menstruates during those days. On this occasion, men are not allowed to enter the temple and only female priests are allowed to serve the temple.
Goddess Bhagawati being the reigning deity of the temple, it is believed that Goddess Parvati was supposedly treated disrespectfully by Lord Shiva at this site on the day of their wedding, and that's the reason why male entry remains restricted here till date.
This temple in Bihar also prohibits men from entering the temple premises at a time when the Goddess is believed to be menstruating.