300 years on, Dalit families finally enter Gidheshwar Shiv temple in West Bengal | India News

NEW DELHI: For the first time in nearly 300 years, Dalit families in a West Bengal village have been allowed to worship at the Gidheshwar Shiv Temple, breaking a long-standing caste barrier.
On Wednesday, representatives of 130 Dalit families stepped into the temple in Purba Bardhaman district’s Katwa subdivision, marking a historic moment in their fight for religious rights.
The breakthrough came after weeks of tension and intervention by local authorities. Around 10 am, five members from the Das community—including four women and one man—climbed the temple steps in Gidhgram’s Daspara area. Under police protection, they poured milk and water on the Shivling and offered prayers without any obstruction.
Centuries of discrimination
For centuries, Dalit families, traditionally cobblers and weavers, were not allowed to enter the temple. When they tried to break this practice on Maha Shivratri (February 26), they faced strong opposition. They were forced to leave and faced economic boycotts, including a ban on selling milk from their cattle.
The families were determined to worship and turned to the administration for help. But early talks with village elders and temple authorities failed. After several discussions, a key meeting on Tuesday, led by Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Ahimsa Jain, finally resolved the issue. Local MLAs, police officials, and temple committee members attended, ensuring that Dalit families could worship freely.
Dalit families enter temple but fear backlash
The families expressed joy and relief but remained cautious about the future. “We are ecstatic to have been granted the right to perform puja at the temple. I prayed to God for everyone’s well-being,” said Santosh Das, a villager previously barred from entering the temple.
“We received tremendous support from the local police and administration on whom we had reposed our faith,” added Ekkori Das. However, she voiced concerns over whether the temple doors would remain open once the police deployment was withdrawn. The economic boycott against the Das families also continued until Wednesday morning, with milk procurement centres refusing to collect milk from them. “Police have directed the centres to resume collection. If it doesn’t happen by evening, we will have to report it to the authorities,” she said.
‘God is with everyone’
While the administration hailed the resolution as a step towards equality, some temple authorities admitted they were not entirely in favour. “We used to take care of everything at the temple during the Gajan fair. It is now a big question whether we will be able to maintain the purity and sanctity of the ancient tradition of puja at the temple,” said Sanat Mandal, a temple servant.
Local political leaders welcomed the development. “It wasn’t easy to break the deadlock arising out of a long-standing tradition. Standing in the 21st century, such ideas cannot be entertained. God is with everyone. Together, we managed to convince everyone of this. That is what has resolved the dispute,” said Trinamool Congress MLA Apurba Chatterjee.