The peace meeting convened by the Mandya taluk administration on Thursday to resolve the row over the entry of devotees to Sri Beereshwara Swamy Temple in Cheeranahalli village has remained inconclusive.
Advocate and Dalit activist Lakshman Cheeranahalli based on whose complaint the taluk administration had convened a peace meeting said the temple authorities had reportedly refused to lift the curbs, which he alleged had been imposed to deny entry of Dalits into the temple, at the meeting.
During the meeting held in presence of Mandya taluk administration officials, the temple priest had justified the curbs by citing the centuries-old tradition prevailing in the temples of “Hadinaru Koota” or sixteen villages, said Mr. Lakshman.
As the matter relating to denial of entry of Dalits into the temples in sixteen villages was before the authorities, the district administration should take up the matter seriously and act against the discrimination, he said.
It may be mentioned here that a controversy had broken out in Sri Beereshwara Swamy Temple after the temple priest had placed a table across the main entrance to prevent devotees from entering the temple, forcing them to have darshan from outside the main entrance.
However, Mr. Lakshman complained to the Mandya district administration that the temple authorities had placed the curbs to prevent Dalits from entering the temple.
The district administration, however, made it clear that there cannot be any discrimination among the devotees entering the temple and having darshan, and had directed the taluk administration to look into the matter.
A peace meeting was held on Thursday following a decision taken by the taluk administration to resolve the matter.
