Bengaluru: Ban on non-Hindu traders sought in Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple

Bengaluru: The Hindu Jagaran Vedike (HJV) has sought a ban on non-Hindu traders from conducting business in the premises of Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple in Karnataka's in Dakshina Kannada district ahead of the Champa Shashti festival.

Prominent banners have been put up on the way leading to the temple that attracts people from across the country for the festival.

The annual Champa Shashti Mahotsava began on Monday (Nov 21) and will culminate on Dec 5. The Champa Shashti Maharatotsava, the most important day of the festival, will be held on Tuesday (Nov 29).

The HJV banner says: “Business activities by people from other religions are banned in this premises during the Kukke Subrahmanya Champa Shashti festival.”

The HJV Kukke unit has also written to the temple management committee, asking it to take “necessary action” to stop non-Hindu traders from conducting business during the festival.

HJV member Hariprasad K in the letter to the temple management, said: “As per the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, people from other religions should not be allowed to conduct business during the festival. The sanctity of the temple should be protected, and law and order maintained.”

However, the management has been following the rule and non-Hindu traders are anyway not allowed to conduct business on the temple premises.

Temple management committee president Mohanram Sulli told the media: “We do not have an option under the law to allow people from other religions to conduct business within temple limits. As per the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, we can neither lease properties, nor execute a tender to persons from other religions. We have been following the rules.”