Karnataka says no to immediate ban on (food) ritual

Karnataka says no to immediate ban on ritual | Karnataka | bizarre ritual | The New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government Friday said while it opposed a ritual in which people rolled over the leftovers of meals eaten by Brahmins at a few temples in the state, it did not favour an immediate ban. "It is a matter of belief and cannot be forcibly banned. We are making efforts to educate people against it," Religious Endowments Minister V.S. Acharya told the state assembly.

He said the government's move to stop it this time too was opposed by those who wanted to undertake the ritual, which they believe has been in practice for around 500 years.

The ritual, denounced by many as "obnoxious" and "anti-Dalit", involves rolling over plantain leaves with leftovers of meals eaten by Brahmins, either as fulfillment of a vow or in the belief that it cures skin ailments.

The ritual takes place once a year during the three-day Champa Sashti festival in late November or early December at a temple devoted to Hindu god Subramanya at Kukke, a small town in western Ghats, about 350 km from here. It is also in vogue at one or two temples in nearby Udupi.

State BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa said the party also opposed the practice and asserted that "Hindu society will not accept it".

His assertion came in the backdrop of accusation by those opposed to the ritual that BJP was reluctant to ban it.

If some people want to role over some one else's leftover meal what can the govt do?

People should realise themselves.

In TN and AP we generally do the opposite of what was stated in the article thanks to Periyar

I too was thinking about that.

If all of India had such leaders & reformers in those days, one particular caste club that has been dominant at the centre since 47 wouldn't be so powerful today.

Well, the media has been mis-reporting this issue for a long time now.

a> This ritual is performed by people of all castes, not restricted to lower castes as reported.

b> Many Hindus come to this temple, i.e. Kukke Subrahmanya temple, for curing skin diseases and this ritual is undertaken for the same as per belief. Made snana is performed in Kukke Subramanya temple and another temple in Pavagada in Tumkur taluk.

c> No one is forcing anyone to perform this ritual, it is something that is undertaken by a devotee by his/her own wish.

A similar ritual is performed in many temples across South whereby a man/woman undertakes to go around the temple by rolling on the ground, in Kannada called UruLu seve, usually in wet clothes.

But I don't know of anywhere else where people urulu over someone's left over meal.

But then who am I to object? Let people chose for themselves.

Well, urulu seve is not on leftovers but rolling around the temple.

Exactly, let people choose.