Made Snana is not as cruel as animal sacrifice says Pejawar seer

Udupi, December 4: Pejawar seer Vishweshatheertha Swamiji said that he will neither support Made Snana nor strongly oppose it. The State government should take a decision after collecting opinions of the devotees.

He said “there have been allegations and counter allegations against Made Snana at Kukke Subrahmanya. A few have started objecting the ritual by including my name.”

“It is not right to correlate between Made Snana and caste system. It is not even right to term it as anti-Dalit. It is a belief that by rolling over the plantain leaves, one is cured of diseases. In fact, Dalits were not performing Made Snana in the past. It was non Dalits including Brahimns who were performing the ritual. However, one should not consider me as anti-Dalit and supporting the cause of the Brahmins,” he said.

The Seer said the Hindu religion or the society was not benefited from Made Snana. By banning the ritual, no big harm is also done to the religion. However, Made Snana should not be compared with untouchability, Sathi system, animal sacrifice, and 'Bethale seve.'

“With Sathi system and Bethale seve, lot of injustice was meted out to women. Made Snana is not as cruel as animal sacrifice. Made Snana has not put others to trouble,” he said.

The devotees can go for 'Angapradakshine instead of Made Snana. There is a need to solve the issue peacefully without giving any caste colour to it.

Protest

The district unit of Samatha Sainika Dal staged a protest demanding ban on Made Snana and sought action against those who assaulted Karnataka Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike President Shivaramu for questioning the ritual, in front of Deputy Commissioner's office on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, President Vishwanath Pethri said the Minister for Religious Endowment Dr V S ACharya should be dropped from the Cabinet for supporting the ritual. He said the government should take a step to ban Made Snana.

“Even after 65 years of India's independence, in the name of religion, atrocity on the minorities, backward classes continues. The assault on a leader who went to the temple to make a fact finding study is condemnable act.”

Cases should be booked against the seer who supported the act of Made Snana at Sri Krishna Mutt.

The government should ban the act legally.

Samatha Sainik Dala leader Shekar Hejamady also spoke in the programme.