Bhubaneswar, India - Another controversy over temple entry has hit Orissa. In Keraragard village in Kendrapara district, four Dalit women who entered a temple were beaten and later fined Rs 1,001 by the village panchayat.
Sebati Muduli, Annapurna Mahali, Jharana Jena and Sakuntala Muduli had entered the Jagannath temple in Keraragard as a matter of right, as only non-Hindus are barred from entering some temples.
But this invited the wrath of the priests and upper-caste villagers. After the women were beaten, the village panchayat issued a decree to recover Rs 1,001 from them — to spend on temple-purification rituals.
BJD MP Mohan Jena said, "If the women who entered the temple are Hindus, then why should they be barred from entering the temple? The mindset of such upper-caste people who oppose the entry of Dalits into temples should change, otherwise the Hindu religion will crumble."
The priests, however, remained unmoved. Niranjan Panda, head priest of the temple in Kerargard, defended the practice. "The entry of scheduled caste people has been prohibited for many years," he said.
Kendrapara SP Pratik Mohanty said: "The district collector has ordered a probe. Depending upon the findings, the district police will take action.”