When call for equality entered homes

Having arrived straight after meeting Pejawar mutt seer Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji at Krishnadhama, the groups were given a warm welcome by residents of the area.

Anticipation, joy and celebrations were mixed in equal measures in the atmosphere. Roads were washed clean and were decorated with huge rangolis along the Padayatra route.

The who’s who of Mysore, especially within the cadres of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangha, was present at this religious do. District in-charge Minister Suresh Kumar inaugurated the Padayatra at 8 am and stayed with Channaiah Swamiji and accompanying seers such as Bhashyam Swamiji and Ilai Alwar Swamiji, for a brief while and left to attend a series of meetings. Later, Channaiah Swamiji visited residences of various families in the area accompanied by Chief Minister’s Parliamentary Secretary and MLA S A Ramdas, Vadiraj, Bhaskar, Prabhakar Bhat and others of RSS along with members of Samarasya Vedike who made the ‘mission’ possible.

Women dressed in fineries accorded ‘poorna kumbha’ welcome to him and led the procession till it culminated at Rama Mandira in the locality. At regular intervals, ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ and ‘Hindustan ki jai’ were rented into air .

 As for the locality, it seemed like a normal day, except for a group of 200 - 300 people walking in the area.

Often, the Swamiji paused to receive ‘paada pooje’ — a tradition where seer’s feet or an elderly person’s feet are washed, as a mark of respect — at some of the houses he visited. And, he conducted pooja in some houses, including that of Ravi Hoysala and former MLA Satyanarayana Rao and other prominent persons. Petals of marigold and jasmine were showered on them amidst the sound of Mangalavadyas as the cavalcade of seers and people moved from one house to another, till it culminated at Rama Mandira in the area for an event marking the success of Padayatra.

‘Bill is yours

The District-in-charge minister Suresh Kumar who was present during the initial phase of Padayatra, said he was there to witness a moment when a mega social shift was taking place. When asked about the govt’s interest in passing the Anti Cow-Slaughter bill, which is a complete opposite to the food culture of Dalits, the minister said ‘It is your (people’s) bill’. When asked if this does not defeat the very issue of equality since there is no tolerance for other community’s food culture, the minister smiled and hurried out to attend a meeting.