For decades women were barred by custom from climbing Agasthyakoodam. The reasoning was the deity’s celibate character — the same argument being fought over at Sabarimala at the same moment.
That bar is gone. But the dates get reported carelessly, including on this site until recently, and the detail is worth getting right.
Two dates, not one
On 30 November 2018, the Kerala High Court ruled that no gender-based restriction could be imposed on trekking to the peak.
No woman climbed it in 2018. The trekking season is notified and narrow, and the ruling landed before it opened. The first ascent by a woman came in January 2019, when Dhanya Sanal K, a central government officer, reached the summit.
So a source telling you women first climbed Agasthyakoodam in 2018 is out by a season, and one telling you women may not climb it at all is simply out of date.
Why the gap matters
It is tempting to treat the court order as the end of the story. It was not. Between the ruling and the season lay six weeks in which it was entirely unclear whether the thing would actually happen — whether permits would issue, whether there would be protest at the base, whether anyone would want to be the first.
Sabarimala was the live comparison, and there the pattern was a ruling followed by sustained resistance on the ground. The question at Bonacaud in January 2019 was which version this would be.
It went the other way. The ascent happened, under police protection and considerable press attention, and women have trekked the mountain in the seasons since. A right that is exercised is a different thing from a right that is declared, and the six weeks are where the difference was decided.
What it is like now
Ordinary, which is the point. Permits are issued through the Forest Department’s online system in a limited daily quota and checked against photo ID at Bonacaud, and the quota does not distinguish between applicants.
The constraint on climbing Agasthyakoodam is now the same for everybody: a notified season of a few weeks, a small daily number of passes, and a mountain that asks for two hard days on foot. The change is contested locally still, and it remains the current position.
Frequently asked questions
Can women trek Agasthyakoodam?
Yes. The Kerala High Court ruled on 30 November 2018 that no gender-based restriction could be imposed on the trek, and women have climbed it in every season since. Any source stating otherwise is out of date.
Who was the first woman to reach the summit?
Dhanya Sanal K, a central government officer, in January 2019 — the first trekking season after the court ruling. The ascent took place under police protection and heavy press attention.
Did women first climb it in 2018?
No, and this is a common error that appeared on this site too. The court ruling was in November 2018; the notified trekking season opened afterwards, so the first ascent by a woman was in January 2019.
What was the basis of the original bar?
Custom, argued from the celibate character of the deity held to reside at the summit — the same reasoning advanced at Sabarimala during the same period. It was a customary restriction rather than a statutory one, which is why a court could set it aside.
Is the change accepted locally?
It was contested at the time and remains a live subject locally. It is nonetheless the settled legal and administrative position, and the permit quota makes no distinction between applicants.