Police protection ensures entry of Dalits at biennial Shikotar Mata puja for the first time

The age-old tradition of encircling a village with a cotton thread for protection from the evil eye had to be stopped at Targara village of Botad block of Bhavnagar District on Sunday, simply because the Dalits wanted their houses to be included in the ‘safety net’ as well.

Despite stiff resistance, the Dalits managed to get entry into the temple in the presence of the local police, which too had been denied to them since long.

The village deity, Shikotar Mata, is worshipped in the village every alternate year in a grand manner. A cotton thread is taken out from the temple and the entire village is encircled within its fold in an attempt to ward off the evil spirits and keep the people and the livestock free from ailments. The Dalits of the village have traditionally been kept out of this ‘safety net’. Besides, they are also denied the prasad of the puja performed in the temple.

Village sarpanch Babu Koli said: "The practice has been going on for many years, but this year the Dalits demanded that they too be included in the "Suraksha Kavach. We could not allow that to happen." He also admitted that until Sunday, the Dalits were not even allowed to enter the village temple.

"Woh log door se pranaam karke chale jaate the" (They used to pay their obeisance from a distance and go away)," he said, adding that their demand to be included in the whole process led to a confrontation. Later, the Dalits were admitted into the temple. However, Mataji declined to permit the Surakhsha Kavach through the bhuva (the worshippers who get into a trance and apparently spell the will of the deity) and we had to postpone the ceremony," he added.

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