Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 20: The state high court (HC), in a relief to hundreds of devotees who had taken a vow to perform Made Made Snana at Subrahmanya temple during the annual festival in return for favours received from Lord Subrahmanyeshwara in the form of boons and cure of skin diseases, paved way for performing this ritual this year.

There had been question mark on the continuance of this traditional method of austerity performed by devotees, after various organizations and thinkers alike had called for enforcing a ban on the ritual, terming it as a kind of cast-based discrimination.

In its order dated Wednesday November 19, the state HC said Made Made Snana Snana be performed at Subrahmanya temple for three days from November 25 to 27 (Margasheera Shuddha Chowti to Shashti) when annual car festival will be held. The Made Made Snana, which entails rolling of people on left overs of food consumed by Brahmins in the temple precincts, had been in vogue here since the last five centuries.

The high court, in 2012, had ordered for replacing the age old system with Yede Snana (rolling on food offered to the Lord that has not been served or consumed). Aadivasi Budakattu Hitarakshana Samiti had filed a petition seeking review of the above verdict of the high court.

A bench of the high court presided by Justice N Kumar and Justice B V Nagaratna, observing that Made Made Snana is a custom that has been in vogue at the said temple since long, felt that suspending the rituals abruptly might hurt religious sentiments and rights of the people.

The bench also observed that people from all castes and religions are allowed to take part in this ritual, and that no one is forced to either take this vow or participate in it. After observing that no discrimination is being practised while performing this ritual, the bench permitted for the resumption of Made Made Snana commencing this year.

The bench also stayed operation of a November 8, 2012 order of the high court which had proposed to replace Made Made Snane with Yede Snana in tune with a proposal put forth by the state government then, and permitted devotees to continue to perform Made Made Snana.

The bench observed that if religious rituals that are practised since ages are stayed one after the other sighting one or the other reason, a time may come in which people might approach courts to stop even the practice of taking holy dip in River Ganga. If it is felt that Made Made Snana is uncivilized, the concerned can try to spread awareness about it rather than forcing to place a ban on it, the bench said.