One dead in temple protest in India

Violent protests in India's southern state of Kerala have claimed the life of a protester after two women defied age-old traditions to enter an ancient temple in the region, police say.

Clashes erupted in the state after two women activists, escorted by the police, entered the hill-top Sabarimala temple before dawn on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court in September lifted a temple ban on women of menstruating age on the grounds that their presence would threaten the celibacy of temple deity Lord Ayappa.

In the days that followed, female devotees and activists attempted to reach the temple, but were stopped by groups of protesters and members of hardline Hindu groups.

A temple activist who was injured in stone-pelting protests in the Pandalam area succumbed to his injuries late on Wednesday night, state police spokesman Pramod Kumar said, adding several injured protesters were still in hospital.

Right-wing Hindu groups had called for a day-long shutdown in the state, with activists shutting markets and blocking roads and traffic.

"Multiple protests have been reported from across the state with people on the streets, particularly in northern Kerala. The situation is tense but under control as we have deployed adequate forces to prevent the violence," Kumar said.

Domestic media said that the clashes were being reported between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and the state's ruling Communist party.

Schools and educational institutions were also closed on account of Thursday's shutdown. Protests were also reported from Bengaluru in the neighbouring state of Karnataka, broadcaster NDTV reported.