Karnataka: 150 devotees practice Yedey snana at temple

Mangaluru: Despite protests by progressive thinkers, around 150 devotees  rolled on the “naivedyam,” offered to the deity at the Kukke Shri Subrahmanya Temple on the occasion of Champa Shasti on Saturday.

The ritual, Yede Snana, that will be held for three days at the temple is a modified version of  Madey Snana,  where devotees rolled on leftovers on plantain leaves at the temple for three days during Champa Shasti and on Kiru Shasti in the past. 

Madey Snana was also practised in various other temples dedicated to Lord Subrahmnaya until the  Supreme Court stayed the ritual in December 2014.

“Madey Snana was an inhuman practice and so  we fought to stop it and won. Now we want the government to stop Yedey Snana too. Why should people roll on rice and why should food be wasted this way?”demanded Mr K S Shivaramu, state president of the  Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike.

On the other hand, Mr Bhakar Bendodi, president of the Adivasi Budakattu Hitarakshana Vedike, which has been fighting in the courts to restore the practice of Madey Snana, finds nothing wrong in the ritual. “I will approach the Supreme Court shortly to allow the practice to continue,” he declared.