Sabarimala, Jan 4 (IANS): A 47-year-old Sri Lankan woman, who is said to have prayed at the Sabarimala temple on Thursday night, said on Friday that she was denied a 'darshan' by the police.

While TV channels showed a woman having 'darshan', a furious Sasikala vehemently denied this had happened.

"I was not allowed darshan by the police and I was sent away," Sasikala told the media.

Her husband, identified as Sharavanan, said it was only he who prayed at the temple, not his wife.

State Devasom (Temple) Minister Kadakampally Surendran said: "We need not find out if she had darshan or not. The government does not need to know. Women are free to pray. How can we stop women from praying at the temple?"

The TV visuals, however, show a woman moving to have 'darshan' but with a different holy kit compared to the one Sasikala was carrying when she spoke to the media.

Before dawn on Wednesday, two Kerala women in the hitherto banned age group (10-50) prayed at the temple, leading to violent protests from those opposed to women's entry into the shrine.