Pathanamthitta Magistrate Court has extended the prohibitory orders in Sabarimala Temple till December 22 midnight. The decision has been taken based on the reports by the District Police Chief and Executive magistrates in Pamba and Sannidhanam. Earlier on December 6, the state government had it clear that the prohibitory orders imposed at the temple premises cannot be withdrawn. The temple town and the nearby places witnessed large-scale protests started by various Hindu groups after the Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged 10-50. Earlier on September 28, in a 4:1 verdict the five-member constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra lifted the decade-old ban, paving the way for the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple. Since the September 28 verdict, large-scale protests and counter-protests have brought Kerala to a standstill.