(Karnataka temple) The historic temple of Chennakeshava in Belur continued its ritual despite opposition from Hindu organizations vying for the right to abstain.
The historic Chennakeshava Temple in Belur in the Hassan district of Karnataka has finally retained its tradition of kicking the rathotsava or chariot festival after repeating Quranic passages despite opposition from right-wing Hindu groups on Wednesday.
The temple administrator wrote to the Muzrai department asking for clarification of the practice, amid recent unrest in the province. The Muzrai department’s commissioner, Rohini Sindhuri, gave a green signal to continue the tradition.
An IAS official said in terms of Section 58 of the Hindu Religious Act, 2002, there should be no interference with the temple customs. Following his direction, the temple committee decided to carry on the tradition of repeating verses from the Quran.
The move was appreciated by thousands of volunteers who participated in the ‘Rathotsav’ of the Channakeshava temple. Kazi Syed Sajeed Pasha recited verses from the Quran in front of Lord Channakeshava’s chariot in front of thousands of devout Hindus. Culture symbolizes community harmony in the region.
“Repetition of verses from the Quran has been a tradition for generations and has come from my ancestors. Whatever the difference, Hindus and Muslims should live in unity and God bless them all,” Pasha said.
The ‘Rathotsav’ ceremony at the Belur temple was held for two days. The statue of Channakeshava is adorned with gold and diamond jewels donated by the ancient kings of the Mysuru dynasty. Dedicated Lakhs filled Belur during this temple exhibition.
Hindu organizations opposed the old tradition of repeating the Quran before removing the cart this year following a series of events taking place in the province. In March, Muslim traders were banned from exhibiting more than 60 temples, mainly on the coastal Karnataka, following threats from right-wing Hindu organizations.
In Bengaluru, the organizers of the annual Bengaluru Karaga procession said last week they would continue with a traditional visit to the Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan Dargah in Cottonpet in protest of pressure from Hindu organizations demanding that the culture be abolished. Bengaluru Karaga is an annual festival celebrated in the heart of the city, especially the community of Thigala.
The annual Bengaluru Karaga festival returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The festival, which will be held at the Shri Dharmarayaswamy Temple in Tigalarpet from April 8 to April 18, will be celebrated in full glory this year.
During the ceremony, a man wearing a sari and carrying a clay pot and a flower pyramid on his head walks near the old Pete areas of Bengaluru. The procession during the festival includes a visit to Dargah. It is said that Saint Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan sought the blessings of the Karaga procession more than 200 years ago when he suffered from a physical ailment and it was Karaga who healed him.
Traditionally, maulvi reads Quran quotations to mark the beginning of ceremonies at the Chennakeshava temple. Recently, as civil unrest erupted in Karnataka, activists from the right wing urged regional officials and temple officials to prevent Muslim traders from participating in the festival.
However, the state affairs department instructed temple officials not to ban any non-Hindu traders and to allow them to set up stalls and participate in the ceremonies, according to senior endowment department officials.
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