MANGALORE: Even as the controversial Made Made Snana ritual was conducted on the second day at Kukke Sri Subrahmanya temple on Saturday, protests grew louder against the practice where devotees roll over leftover food left behind by Brahmins on plantain leaves. The belief is that the ritual will cure them of skin ailments.

Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike state president KS Shivaramu and many progressive seers staged a hunger strike in front of the deputy commissioner's office, demanding ban on the practice.

Shivaramu said Made Snana is an inhuman practice and the government should ban it through an ordinance. "The government should introduce laws to prevent such inhuman practices through the proposed anti-superstition bill. Before that, an ordinance should be issued to ban the ritual at Kukke and other temples in coastal districts," he said.

"It is a serious lapse on the authorities' part to let devotees hold such an inhuman practice at Kukke temple, which belongs to the endowment department. The seva list officially published by the department doesn't mention Made Snana. The temple administration should be held responsible for this," Shivaramu said.

"If the ritual is an act of faith, let priests and Brahmins also roll over the leftover food eaten by dalit and backward classes," he said, and warned of intensifying the protest if the practice is not completely banned.

Seer of Sri Revanasiddeshwar Mahamat Kanaka Bhavana, Dharwad, Sri Basavaraj Devaru, said the practice questions the dignity of humans. "Chief minister Siddaramaiah, who spoke eloquently against Made Snana in the Assembly when he was in the opposition, should take the lead to ban it."

Sri Rachoti Shivacharya Swamy of Mysore's Bettadapura Shakha Mutt joined the chorus for ban on the practice.

Can't use AK-47s to ban ritual

The Supreme Court stayed the Karnataka high court order of November 8, 2012, that had sought to modify the ritual. Hence, the government can't forcibly stop the practice by using AK-47s or other methods. The realization that Made Snana is a practice that has to be shunned must come from people themselves. H Anjaneya | Social welfare minister

