As Quoted by a priest at Sabarimala:

`Millions of devotees throng Sabarimala during the pilgrimage. And presence of women among them can lead to law and order problems as not everybody, however ardent devotee he is, need not behave decently with women.

''The concept about Ayyappa as installed at Sabarimala is that of a brahmachari in penance. The lore also says that he has vowed to remain a bachelor. People cite these reasons also to justify the ban on women's entry.