Apex Court stays HC ruling on Madesnana; ritual to be held as usual at Kukke Subrahmanya Temple

Mangalore Today News Network

Subrahmanya, Dec 15, 2012: The controversial Madesnana ritual of the famous Sri Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, will be held as usual on December 16, 17 and 18 during the Shashti celebrations at the temple.

The Supreme Court, on December 14, Friday, has stayed the Karnataka High Court order of November 8  allowing the modified  madesnana ritual at the Temple and has ordered status quo  on the issue. The Supreme Court ruling was welcomed by local Malekudiya tribals as well as other citizens in Subrahmanya by bursting crackers on Friday.

The Supreme Court directive has put an end to the confusion that prevailed as to whether ritual which is participated by thousands of devotees every year, would be held or not this year. The Supreme Court, has meanwhile also issued notices to the Karnataka Government, Nidumamidi Seer and the Adivasi Budakattu Hitharakshana Vedike.

It may be mentioned here that the Vedike had earlier filed a Special Leave Petition in the Apex Court  seeking observance of the practice in its original form and challenging the PIL filed in the High Court by Veerabhadra Channamalla Swamiji of Nidumamidi Mutt opposing the practice.
 The state government had then submitted to the High Court that it would modify the controversial   and the High Court too had agreed  for slight modifications in the ritual as suggested by the state government.

 The state government suggestion was to restrict devotees from rolling over plantain leaves with leftovers of food had by Brahmins and instead to allow them to roll over food offered to the deity directly brought from the sanctum sanctorum to the outer yard in the form of ’prasadam’ and later placed on plantain leaves.
It may be mentioned here that the controversial practice had drawn flak from various corners, with several associations staging protests on the grounds that it was merely an attempt to  suppress the lower castes by the so called upper caste people.

Last year, though the DC had  issued an order banning the practice, later it was  withdrawn, reportedly following pressure from various corners. Thousands had also taken part in the roll over ritual as usual at the temple despite stiff opposition from some organizations and protests by several including Dalits and writers.