New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hold an early hearing of the Kerala government's plea seeking transfer of a batch of cross-petitions on the Sabarimala temple row from the High Court to the top court.

A number of petitions have been filed both by the devotees and rights activists on the handling of the situation on the ground after the top court verdict of September 28 permitting the entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala temple.

"Let it come in due course," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the Kerala government's counsel sought an early hearing of the state's plea to transfer cases before the High Court to the top court.

The apex court had on November 13 decided to go for open court hearings on January 22 of the nearly 50 petitions seeking a recall of its order permitting women of all age groups to pray at the temple in Kerala.

The prayers in the fresh petitions effectively boils down to upholding the practice of the Sabarimala temple prohibiting the entry of girls and women between the age group of 10 and 50 years in the shrine.