'Visiting Ujjain's Mahakal Temple was more painful than scaling Everest'

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] Dec 26 (ANI): Arunima Sinha, first woman amputee to scale the Mount Everest, on Tuesday said the Ujjain's Mahakal Temple authorities mocked at her disability during her visit there.

Speaking to ANI, the mountaineer said, "The incident took place on December 24 when the authorities at Ujjain's Mahakal Temple refused to let me enter the main shrine saying I cannot enter in these clothes. I was dressed the way I am dressed right now, in a jacket and lowers... My disability was mocked there".

Sinha, who had hoisted the tricolor on the top of the Everest, said, "I felt greater pain in visiting Mahakal Temple than scaling the Everest."

She added that she tried to explain them and even showed that one of her leg is artificial but they said "aap jaise bahut aate hain yahan (many people like you come with such disabilities)."

"I had tears in my eyes. Women's clothes shouldn't be made into an issue this way. Then I saw a man exiting the shrine wearing jeans. If he can do that why can't I?" Sinha questioned.

Sinha went to Madhya Pradesh on the call of Minister of Child Development, Archana Chitnis, wherein the next morning she went to Ujjain's Mahakal Temple.

"I am very sorry to tell you that I felt greater pain in visiting Mahakal temple (at Ujjain) than scaling the Everest. My disability was mocked at there (at Mahakal)," she tweeted tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? Everest ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ?????? ??? ? @PMOIndia @CMMadhyaPradesh

— Arunima Sinha (@sinha_arunima) December 25, 2017

The Temple sources, however, said the sportsperson was stopped twice by security personnel while trying to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and that she broke down while arguing with them. (ANI)