Mangaluru: The controversial ‘Made Snana’, a ritual in which devotees roll over food leftover by Brahmins on plantain leaves to fulfil their vow, will be held from December 15 during Champashashti Utsava in Kukke Subramanya.
The district administration has instructed that Yedesnana be practiced as a ritual instead of Madesnana, but on being asked, the Malekudiyas have given contradictory responses saying that there is no order as such from the DC.
Intellectuals have been protesting against the 500-year-old controversial rituals of Madesnana being performed at the Kukke Subramanya temple in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.
The rituals involve people rolling on the plantain leaves left by Brahmins after their meal during the annual jatra of the temple. Devotees believe that all their ailments would be healed if they performed the ritual.
In 2012, Nidumamidi mutt seer Veerabhadra Chennamalla and several other social organisations opposed and filed a petition in the High Court to ban the practice.
But the ban was opposed by the Adivasi Budakattu Hitarakshana Vedike state president Bhaskar Bendody who challenged the High Court order and approached Supreme Court. The temple authorities decided to allow the practice in the wake of the Supreme Court staying the modified “Yede Snana” (rolling on plantain leaves on which food offered to deity is kept) suggested by Karnataka Government in the aftermath of the ritual facing flak from several social organisations who had demanded a ban on it.
Some devotees who are opposed to any change in the system, however, challenged the High Court ruling and secured stay from the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Pejawar seer Vishweshwara Theertha seer advised devotees to practice Yedesnana instead of Madesnana. The state government had considered the suggestion and filed an affidavit in High Court. The issue was also discussed in the assembly last year but they could not ban the practice as there were mixed reactions to it.
Religious Datti department and the district administration agreed to go ahead with Yedesnana. But the Malekudiyas have been urging to practice Madesnana.
Bhaskar Bendody too defended the practice and said “This is a tradition that is being practiced since 5,000 years. People who have no knowledge of the ritual have been objecting to it. It is a religious tradition”, he said. He has decided to file a writ before the court once again.
“The High Court itself has stayed the ban order so we will continue to practice until the verdict passes. Even after the Court’s order, the district administration is creating a lot of confusion”, he said.
But DC AB Ibrahim is adamant on his decision not to allow controversial Madesnana to take place. “I have written a letter to Social welfare department and I will also try to convince the Malekudiyas”, he added.
Photo Courtesy: DC
