200 devotees turn up for made snana

Mangalore, 17 Dec 2012 (TNN): Day one of the controversial ’made snana’ ritual, held on champa shashti on Sunday, went off without any hitch at the Kukke Sri Subrahmanya temple. The Supreme Court had on Friday stayed the Karnataka high court order of November 8 which had allowed the modified ’made snana’ ritual.

 

The temple and police authorities pegged the number of devotees who voluntarily took part in Sunday’s ’made snana’ to approximately 200. The temple sources said they expect the number to swell further on Monday.

 

According to H M Kale, executive officer of the temple, around 200 devotees, including those wearing the janivara (sacred thread), took part in the rituals. Devotees rolled over the leftover food - served to Brahmins on plantain leaves in the temple courtyard - in their belief that doing so would cure them of various ailments, especially those related to skin.

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"None of the critics of ’made snana’ tried to interrupt or protest against the ritual," Kale said.

 

Striking a note of caution on ’made snana’ being held on Monday, considered to be the most auspicious among the days in champa shasti, Kale said, "It all depends on the Supreme Court - whether it vacates the stay given that legal moves are afoot in this direction." He added that the temple management will keep a tab on the developments that may take place in the apex court in this regard on Monday.

 

Earlier, the state government had submitted to the high court that it would modify the controversial practice of ’made snana’ at the temple. The modified formula, described as ’Yede snana’, was to allow devotees to roll over food offered to the deity, brought directly from the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.