Guruvayur (Kerala) | After a gap of nearly five decades, Guruvayur Devaswom, the temple body which manages the famed Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple here, got a woman member, coincidentally on International Women's Day on Sunday.

M U Shinija has been appointed to the nine-member panel, making it the first woman appointment to the body after the Devaswom rules were amended in 1978.

According to reports, the administrative panel had women's representation during 1970s.

However, no woman had been appointed to the committee after the amendment of the Guruvayur Devaswom rules in 1978, it said.

Shinija has been nominated now as a representative of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

A V Gopinath, who took oath as the new Chairman of the Guruvayur Devaswom Board, said it was really great that the Board got a woman member after 48 years.

"It is really great that the Board got a woman member on International Women's Day," he told the media after taking oath at a function held here.