Kukke Subramanya: The faithful congregated in large numbers to the renowned Kukke Subramanya temple on Tuesday, December 15-the day of Champa Shashti and performed ‘Yede Snana’ amidst heavy security.
‘Yede Snana’ is the alternative evolved in place of the controversial, age-old practice of Made Snana. While Made Snana has devotees rolling over the left over food partaken by the Brahmins, the alternative Yede Snana allows the devotees to roll over the temple Prasadam.
The district administration in a communication had made it clear that YedeSnana can be performed by the devotees during the Shashti festival in the temple ie from Dec 15 to 17.
While several organisations and individuals took exception to the age old practice of Made Snana citing that it is an inhuman practice where the tribals are forced to roll over the left over food partaken by the Brahmins, the government had promised to make sure that the practice is abolished. While some say that the local Malekudiyas are ill-treated in the name of tradition, there are equally good number of people, including the Malekudiyas who are for the practice.
The High court accepting the writ petition gave its permission to Ede Snana instead of Made Snana on condition that there should be no discrimination based on religion, caste, creed or gender in the temples.
