The Central government has requested the Supreme Court to ban a 500 year old temple ritual in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu where Dalits are made to roll over the leftover meals of Brahmins.
The ritual (called “snana” which means bathing) is apparently backed by the belief that rolling over leftovers of Brahmins will cure their skin diseases, infertility or family curse.
According to social justice ministry, such superstitious practice affects human dignity and also ruins individual’s health.
This ritual is followed at Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka’s South Canara district every year and during Aradhana festival at the Nerur Sadasiva Bharmendrai Temple in Karur district, Tamil Nadu.
According to a report published in Hindustan Times, the Centre said that although such acts are carried under Constitution’s ‘Freedom of religion’ but it cannot be allowed to function as they challenge human dignity. They wrote in their affidavit: “These rituals may be voluntary but since human dignity and health of concerned persons is affected and are against constitutional value of justice, equality and human dignity, they ought not to be defended under Article 25 of the Constitution of India which relates to right to freedom of religion.”
Five years ago, the Karnataka high court had modified the ceremony and had said that food offered to the deity will be placed on plantain leaves outside the temple.
The Karnataka government had also told the SC that temple authority weren’t responsible for the practice conducted outside the temple.
