Dalits of Sigaranahalli in Holenarsipur taluk offered prayers at Basaveshwara Temple on Sunday. Around 30 members from the Dalit colony entered the temple, for which their entry was restricted, around 10 a.m. However, none from the “upper castes” visited the temple on the day. For the last eight months, they have been demanding entry into the temple. In September 2015, “upper caste” people of the village imposed a fine on four Dalit women for entering the temple. Since then, the Dalits have held protests, seeking entry into the temple and also the community hall in the village.
The district administration, on Saturday, took over the temple. Holenarsipur tahsildar Renu Kumar conducted the mahajar; they took into custody the valuables in the temple in presence of five persons, including two from the Dalit colony. Later, it was announced that from Sunday the temple would be open between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day.
An employee of Hariharpura Gram Panchayat has been given the responsibility to open the temple at the fixed hours. R.K. Shahapurwad, Superintendent of Police, Hassan and senior officers of the district administration were present.
Somanna, deputy tahsildar of Halekote hobli, told The Hindu: “We have conveyed the arrangements for temple visits to the villagers. As of now there is no priest; the devotees just go there and offer prayers. The process of handing over the temple to the Muzrai Department will be taken up soon,” he said.
The community hall, known as Vokkaliga Samudaya Bhavan all these years, will now be called Samudaya Bhavan. Officials present at the temple confirmed that only Dalits came to the temple. The police had been deployed in the village to avoid any untoward incident.
Last year in September, the district administration had escorted Dalits into the temple, amidst protests. Since then the temple was kept locked, as the “upper castes” felt that it had become “impure” with the entry of Dalits. Purification rituals were conducted on March 25 before the annual Durga Parameshwari festival.
