Devotees prevented from performing ‘Madesnana’

The district administration has prevented the devotees from performing “Madesnana” at Subramanya Swamy temple in Nagalamadike in Pavagada taluk in the district on Sunday.

A team of officials accompanied by 80 police personnel camped at the temple to prevent the ritual following the Supreme Court’s direction.

The High Court has vacated its earlier order banning ‘Madesnana’.

However, the Supreme Court has stayed the High Court’s order in view of the State government’s petition against vacating the ban order.

According to the authorities of the temple, the tradition of rolling on the plantain leaves with leftovers of meals eaten by Brahmins and also carrying those plantain leaves with leftovers of meals on their heads has been followed for the more than 400 years at the temple on “Pushyashudda Shashti” and “Magashudda Shashti”.

The devotees believe that by doing this

seve , their skin ailments will be cured, childless couple get children, infection in the ears of the children will be cured.

Thousands of devotees from Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru rural districts in Karnataka, Anantapur, Nellur, Chittor districts in Andhra Pradesh also come here to perform ‘Madesnana’ on this day.

Tahsildar of Pavagada taluk, Thimma Bovi told The Hindu , “we have not allowed anybody to perform ‘Madesnana’ as per the directions of the Supreme Court”.

He added that they had allowed the people of Brahmin community to take their lunch at a place away from the premises of the temple.

After the lunch, the plantain leaves along with left over meals were collected in drums and seized them.

The district administration had prevented the people from performing ‘Madesnana’ on December 27, 2014 at the same temple.

Assistant Commissioner, Anithalakshmi, Tahsildar of Pavagada taluk, Thimma Bovi and others were present at the temple.