ugc_banner

Watch: Priest refuses to conduct rituals for Durga Puja by 'lower castes', woman inspector steps in

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Sep 25, 2017, 04:28 PM IST
main img
A woman police inspector from central India broke the norms of India's deeply-rooted caste system. Photograph:(WION)

Story highlights

Inspector Anali Uddani?intervened in a matter where some "lower caste" people were being prevented from organising a Durga puja.||The "untouchable" community from a small village in Madhya Pradesh, had enthusiastically prepared to organise their own Puja.

A woman police inspector from central India broke the norms of India's deeply-rooted caste system.

Inspector Anali Uddani intervened in a matter where some "lower caste" people were being prevented from organising a Durga puja, worship of the mother goddess, in the ongoing festival season. 

The "untouchable" community from a small village, Kota, in Bundelkhand district of central India's Madhya Pradesh, had enthusiastically prepared to organise their own Puja ceremony.

They had laid the foundation for the idol, decorated the area, but when the time came to start worship, the upper caste Brahmin priests refused. 

It was late in the night, the idol was unworshipped when Uddani arrived. Initially, she asked the priest to conduct the rituals. However, the priest kept on delaying the process.

Uddani, who is from the Brahmin community from which priests come, took matters into her own hands, and performed the rituals.

Incidentally, even Brahmin women are not allowed to conduct prayer rituals that are done only by Brahmin males.

Meanwhile, another Brahmin inspector decided to pitch in and help Uddani conduct the prayer ceremony.

Practising 'untouchability' or caste discrimination is banned in India and punishable under the law, but societal attitudes are deeply entrenched and rear their heads from time to time.