Hassan DC performs fire-walk ritual

Hassan Deputy Commissioner K.S. Lathakumari, on Thursday, performed “kenda seve”, fire-walk as part of Siddeshwara Jatra Mahotsava, on the premises of Hasanamba temple in Hassan. Many residents of Hassan and those from nearby places performed the ritual.

The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, which came into effect in 2020, prohibits practices and rituals that involve self-inflicting injuries. It prohibits “coercing any person or persons to perform fire-walk at the time of jatras and religious festivals, causing physical injury.” There have been instances in different parts of the State where people died after falling down while performing the ritual.

When The Hindu contacted the DC, the officer stated that she instantly decided to walk on the fire path as an experiment, but not to promote the practice. “I was there on the premises to ensure all safety measures were in place. There was an ambulance and fire tenders present on site. All these years, I have not participated in such rituals. I interacted with women who performed the ritual and wanted to know how they felt”.

The DC said an elderly person, who had performed the ritual for several years, told her that it was a test of one’s endurance and how one was prepared to face challenges in life. “I did not perform it to promote it. It was just an experiment. In my opinion, we should not encourage such practices,” she added.