Tourists in India warned to avoid crowds as tension over temple ban mounts

One dead and 15 injured in violent protests

The British government has warned tourists visiting the Indian state of Kerala to "remain vigilant" and to avoid "large public gatherings" as unrest over women being admitted to the Sabarimala temple continues.

"If you're in Kerala or due to travel there, you should monitor media reports closely," the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned in updated advice for people travelling to the state, which remains a popular tourist destination.

Kerala was thrown into disarray in September after India's Supreme Court ordered that a ban on women entering the pilgrimage site should be lifted.

Two women, Bindu Ammini and Kanaka Durga, made history by becoming the first women to enter the temple earlier this week. They travelled under the cover of darkness and were escorted by police officers.

A third woman, from Sri Lanka, entered the temple with her husband on Thursday night.

The women are now in hiding and the news has caused a major public outcry, involving violent clashes, protests and a state-wide strike.

Until last year women had been banned from the Sabarimala temple, which is one of India's largest Hindu pilgrimage sites.

The temple is devoted to the celibate Hindu god Ayyappan, and the ban on women aged between 10 and 50 has long been justified by worshippers who point to the god's celibacy and argue that menstruating women are unclean.

Clashes between police officers and protesters have erupted this week, with Kerala's left-wing state government supporting feminist groups who say that the ban is discriminatory.

The Congress Party and Bharatiya Janata Party both support temple authorities, who have refused to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling.

One person has been killed and 15 injured in the uproar as demonstrators call for the ban to be reinstated.