The Gokak taluk administration has sealed Maradimath village after villagers, throwing social distancing norms to the wind, gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects to the temple horse of Kadasiddeshwara Ashram on Sunday.
After video clips of the horse being taken in a procession and its cremation went viral on social media, taluk administration swung into action. Tahsildar Prakash Holeppagol and staff rushed to the village.
Going by the video clips, it appears that about 400 people participated in the procession and cremation of the temple horse.
"The village has been sealed. Movement of villagers will be restricted. The residents will be subjected to Covid-19 tests. Police cases have been filed against 15 persons who had organised the procession," he said.
Flaying the administration for lapses, many expressed fear that the event may emerge as a super-spreader.
According to sources, the horse dedicated to Kadasiddeshwara temple was released into the village following a request by the elders. The villagers believed that the horse would protect their village from coronavirus. The horse moved around the village freely for a couple of days. But the temple horse, aged 23, died on Friday night.
The grief-stricken villagers of Konnur-Maradimath and surrounding areas, ignoring the Covid-19 safety norms, gathered in large numbers at the Ashram to pay their last respects to the divine equine.
Published 24 May 2021, 16:34 IST