Banning Made Snana immediately is not possible – Dr. V. S. Acharya

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 19, 2011: Higher Education Minister Dr. V. S. Acharya has made it clear that banning Made Snana, an age-old ritual of rolling on banana plate leaves discarded by Brahmins after their meals, as it is practiced in Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, all of a sudden is impossible.

He was addressing the audience at the valedictory ceremony of the 1-day Tulunadu Daivaradhakara Sammelan held at Alevoor. Some politicians and organizations were demanding an immediate ban on the ritual, he added.

Stating that that those opposing the ritual are talking as if “we” have created the ritual, he clarified that it has been practiced for centuries. He also informed that Shri Vadiraja, the seer of Sode Mutt, who lived between 1480 and 1600, had mentioned the ritual in his book Teertha Prabhanda. This indicates that the ritual has been around for ages and cannot be banned all of a sudden.

Voicing his opinion that it is not right to question beliefs, he said that Prakrithi Aradhane, Bhootaradhane, and Nagaradhane are rituals practiced by the people of Tulunadu. He also said that the government will think about providing pensions for Bhootaradane artists.