A video of a Dalit woman who was turned away from a temple 25 km from Pondicherry on Sunday, 29 April, in which she is seen fighting back boldly, has gone viral. Other temple visitors, presumed to be caste-Hindus, can be seen asking the woman in a pink salwar to leave the premises of the place of worship. When she refuses, they attempt to physically push her away.
According to The Hindu, the woman, Radha, who is seen in the video belongs the Kunichampet Dalit colony. The report states that the villagers consider the 20-day festival at the Sri Kamatchi Sameta Boodanadheeswarar Temple very auspicious. Stories from the Mahabharata are told in the temple and played on loudspeakers outside.
But people from the Dalit colony are allegedly not allowed to enter the temple and are told to pray outside.
However, this year Radha decided that she wanted to witness the marriage of goddess Draupadi for herself.