Mangaluru/Mysuru: For the first time, centuries-old ritual of ‘Made Snana’ was replaced by ‘Yede Snan’ at Sri Subramanya temple at Kukke on Tuesday, the first day of three-day festival of Subramanya Shasti, following an order by the Supreme Court.
‘Made Snana,’ a ritual where devotees roll on plantain leaves with leftovers during Subrahmanya Shasti and on Kiru Shasti (a month after Subramanya Shasti), was allowed till 2014 despite protests by intellectuals and members of various organizations. The ritual, however, was stayed by the apex court in December 2014.
Based on the state government's directions, the deputy commissioner clarified that instead of ‘Made Snana,’ devotees would be allowed to perform ‘Yede Snana’ (where devotees roll on 'Naivedyam,' offered to God instead of the leftovers). “I had offered ‘Made Snana’ earlier and my health problem was solved. As ‘Made Snana’ is stayed by the court, temple authorities have organised ‘Yede Snana.’ We follow what the authorities say and thus I offered ‘Yede Snana’ today,” a devotee told Deccan Chronicle.
Adivasi Budakattu Hitarakshana Vedike president Bhaskar Bendodi who has been at the forefront of the legal battle in support of ‘Made Snana’ said that he would carry on with his legal fight. “I am unhappy that ‘Made Snana’ has been stopped. We respect the Supreme court’s stay order and perform ‘Yede Snana’. But I will continue my legal fight. I will write to the President soon,” he added.
Pass Anti Superstition bill: K.s. Bhagavan
Rationalist and writer Prof. K.S. Bhagwan on Tuesday staged a protest near the deputy commissioner’s office here against the practice of Yede Snana and Made Snana and urged the state government to pass the Anti-Superstition Bill. The protest was held under the aegis of Karnataka State Backward Communities Awareness Forum. Prof. Bhagwan said, “There is no difference between Yede Snana and Made Snana. Let those who propose such rituals perform them first. With this, they only intend to convey to society that they belong to the upper class. This is discriminatory and goes against the Indian Constitution.”
He urged the state government to take over the famous Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi and bring it under the Endowment department while opposing the re-anointment of Pejawar Math Seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swami.
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