“We would consider whether the matter should be referred to the Constitution Bench,” a Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar said adding that the matter involved an important legal question.

The Bench was hearing a petition filed by a group of women lawyers seeking direction to the Kerala Government to lift the ban on women devotees entering the temple.

The Bench said that it would take the decision after the state government filed its response and granted it two weeks time for it.

The PIL filed by six woman lawyers belonging to Indian Young Lawyers’ Association, contended the custom restricting the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years into the temple was violative of their constitutional rights, including the right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.

They also challenged the validity of the provisions of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 which legalise to the ban.