Karnataka: Tensions Erupt in Chikkamagaluru Village Over Dalit Temple Entry; Officials Step In to Resolve Row

The entry of Dalits led to a standoff lasting three days with the dominant caste community refusing to perform rituals at the temple.

After the incident, the Dalit community members approached Tehsildar Sumanth, seeking his permission to enter the temple

Source : Pexels

The members of Kuruba community halted daily prayers at the Tirumala Temple in the village of Narasipur in Chikkamagaluru taluk allegedly after two youths from Scheduled Caste community entered the temple at the time of the ongoing puja. The entry led to a standoff lasting three days with the dominant caste community refusing to perform rituals at the temple.

In response, Chikkamagaluru district administration intervened on Thursday holding a meeting with the villagers to mediate between the two groups, reported The Hindustan Times. The conflict emerged when members of the Kuruba community, traditionally responsible for conducting the temple rituals, stopped their duties, claiming they would not pray in the presence of Dalit individuals.

After the incident, the Dalit community members approached Tehsildar Sumanth, seeking his permission to enter the temple. Following this, the officials from the revenue, social welfare, and police departments visited the village to mediate and resolve the issue.

Upper caste communities of #Narasipura village near #Belawadi in #Karnataka's #Chikkamagaluru taluk had stopped puja at the #TirumaleshwaraTemple in the village and locked it after two #Dalit youths had entered the temple during puja. After the intervention of taluk officials,… pic.twitter.com/BREnWkyDSE

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) December 6, 2024

On Thursday morning, a meeting was conducted with officials and the people. The officials highlighted that temples are open to all members of the public and that preventing entry based on caste would be considered an act of untouchability, which could result in legal consequences, as per a report on Deccan Herald.

Following these discussions, the Kuruba community agreed to allow Dalits entry into the temple starting Friday.

Narasipur, located near Belavadi, has a mixed population of over 250 Kuruba community families and 13 Scheduled Caste families. The village has nine small temples, including the Tirumala, Beerappa, and Lakshmidevi temples. The Tirumala temple, the focal point of the controversy, is managed by priests appointed by the Muzrai Department.