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Entry to Tripurasundari Bhagwati temple in Dolpa has been opened after the protest from Dalit community. It was opened after the Dalit community protested against the act of priests who discriminately approved entries in the temple on Chaite Dashain’s Ram Nawami.

Yagyaprasad Upadhyay, the priest of the temple, informed that the temple management committee, temple trust fund committee and the stakeholders in presence of people from Dalit community decided that the temple will be opened for everyone and no one will be discriminated while facilitating entry to the temple. The action was taken after the news of discrimination took over National media.

Even though the entry of Dalits was ensured following the effort of Dalit activists on 2018, the place of putting tika and entry point was separated from Dalits and non-Dalits in the temple. Tika plates were kept outside the temple for the people from Dalit community where they would put tika by themselves.

Temple priest and the member of trust fund committee, Tank Prasad Upadhyay stated that the Dalits themselves are hesitant to enter the temple even though the temple has been opened for everyone. He further said that ‘we have not discriminated anyone in the temple, however, representatives of some non-governmental organizations working to eradicate caste discrimination are triggering Dalits by spreading rumors and misleading news.

Dalit activists and journalist Purnakumar Sarki stated that he himself experienced the discrimination as he wasn’t allowed to enter inside the temple. Sarki then broadcasted the news covering the prevailing discrimination. He said that the temple is a public place and no one should be discriminate in the name of caste.

Another Dalit Activist, Bam Bahadur Sarki, said that the decision of not discriminating anyone while entering the temple is commendable. However, it is crucial to implement it in practice.

Bishnu Prasad Devkota