After an incident of caste discrimination in Kolar district, a Dalit family replaced portraits of Hindu gods in their house with pictures of the Buddha and Dr BR Ambedkar.
There are two views on the issue of temple entry among Dalit scholars and activists.
Some say the community should renounce God, boycott temples and focus on education. Others feel that it is not easy to overcome deep-rooted cultural and religious ties that have been passed down from generation to generation.
According to Guruprasad Kantalagere, who has researched Dalit traditions and Dalit Christians, “The Madiga community is linked to temples through the idea of Jambudvipa. So even when they convert, they usually choose Christianity because there is a similarity between their view of the origins of the world and that of Christians. Likewise, the young people of the Holeya community see their roots in Ambedkar and the Buddha. And they choose this path.
For Santosh Dindagur, a theater artist, having access to village temples has far more connotations than worshiping the deity. It is a window on the culture that took shape in his own country. “I am researching the architecture of the temple and will use it in my theatrical activities,” he says.
“It’s easy to dismiss temple entry as superstition, but we need to see temples as part of the culture. It is also our responsibility to transmit culture and knowledge to future generations,” he adds.
It is common for villages to have more than one temple. While all other communities have access to all temples, including those in Dalit settlements, Dalit communities are restricted to temples in their settlements.
Interestingly, the priests or administrators do not ask about the caste of devotees before allowing them to enter the temple. As a result, many Dalits travel to temples far from the village. “The element of anonymity helps,” says Radha from Vijayanagara district.
In places where discrimination is subtle, the temple administration allows everyone to enter the temple, but they do not actively support the entry of Dalits.
A fight and a strategy
The Kundoor village of Tumakuru has shown how the demand for justice can really work. Kundoor Thimmaiah, 68, inspired by Dalit movements, led the effort to gain access to the village water pond and temple in 1980. The violent fight continued for three years, including three attempted murders on Thimmaiah.
The path was not easy, but Thimmaiah won the hearts of the majority Lingayat community when he helped them resolve a temple dispute with another privileged caste. He formed a youth association including all castes. His collective leadership mantra resulted in the village electing him twice as a member of the gram panchayat and once as a member of the taluk panchayat. After four decades of concerted effort, “Dalit leadership has entered the mainstream here,” says Thimmaiah.
In Talavageri, Koppal district, students came to grips with the situation when the temple administration served them food in paper plates while other communities were served in steel plates. They asked the administration to put a separate meter and name it SC meter. “We knew this strategy would work because no one dares to perpetuate discrimination in the public eye. Within minutes, we got steel plates,” says Bhim.
A fight and a strategy
The Kundoor village of Tumakuru has shown how the demand for justice can really work. Kundoor Thimmaiah, 68, inspired by Dalit movements, led the effort to gain access to the village water pond and temple in 1980. The violent fight continued for three years, including three attempted murders on Thimmaiah.
The path was not easy, but Thimmaiah won the hearts of the majority Lingayat community when he helped them resolve a temple dispute with another privileged caste. He formed a youth association including all castes. His collective leadership mantra resulted in the village electing him twice as a member of the gram panchayat and once as a member of the taluk panchayat. After four decades of concerted effort, “Dalit leadership has entered the mainstream here,” says Thimmaiah.
In Talavageri, Koppal district, students came to grips with the situation when the temple administration served them food in paper plates while other communities were served in steel plates. They asked the administration to put a separate meter and name it SC meter. “We knew this strategy would work because no one dares to perpetuate discrimination in the public eye. Within minutes, we got steel plates,” says Bhim.
