A misguided notion
Over the centuries, religious elites have sought to appropriate the right to access even the appurtenances of divinity, such as the temple. One such example is the diktat that non-Hindus may not enter the Jagannath temple at Puri, one of the great seats of the faith. The issue became news when recently some foreigners sat in dharna outside the Lion’s Gate of the famed seat, seeking permission to enter on account of their affinity for the faith. Ironically, members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) are also denied entry to the Puri precincts as its members are generally foreigners, although they profess faith in Lord Krishna. The Iskcon folk have to sit it out in Puri, although it is this organisation that had recently challenged the Russian authorities in Siberia over the banning of the Bhagavad Gita.
Denying access was always a means to demonstrate control since religion holds a place of significance in people’s lives. Islam cut through this clap-trap. That was a reason for its early appeal, but the keepers of this great faith too sadly bar unbelievers from its holiest shrines. Hindu practices have of course been blighted by the caste order. Great struggles have ensued so that the former untouchables may gain temple entry. In some instances women too were kept out. Now Gajpati King Dibya Singh Deb of Puri has endorsed the ban on foreigners’ entry to the Puri shrine, a distinctly misguided notion in an age of democracy and individualism.
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