Dalit Groom Offers Prayers at Temple Near Ambedkar’s Birthplace Under Police Protection.
Indore, Madhya Pradesh: A Dalit groom was allowed to offer prayers at a Lord Ram temple near Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s birthplace in Mhow under police supervision, following a heated dispute between two groups in Sanghvi village on Monday. The incident occurred on Ambedkar Jayanti, marking the birth anniversary of the Constitution’s chief architect and a revered figure among Dalits.
According to eyewitnesses and videos shared on social media, the groom, belonging to the Balai community, arrived at the temple with his wedding procession. Tensions rose when a disagreement occurred between the groom’s party and members of a privileged caste community over entering the temple premises. The controversy reportedly centered on access to the sanctum sanctorum—the innermost area of the temple—which local traditions restrict to priests.
Police from Betma station reached the site soon after the argument broke out. Officers mediated between both sides, allowing the groom and a few of his relatives to perform prayers at the temple while maintaining the traditional boundaries.
In response to viral social media posts suggesting that the groom was denied entry to the temple, the police issued a public statement to clarify the sequence of events. They denied any outright ban on the groom’s entry and said the wedding procession continued peacefully after prayers.
“The claim that a Dalit groom was barred from the temple is misleading,” the police stated. “The groom and his family prayed at the temple, and the procession moved forward without any disruption.”
Betma police station in-charge Meena Karnawat reiterated that the issue was only about entering the sanctum sanctorum, which is reserved for priests according to local customs.
However, community leaders expressed discontent. Manoj Parmar, head of the All India Balai Mahasangh, said it took nearly two hours and police intervention for the groom to offer his prayers. “Incidents like these show that caste bias still exists in our villages,” he said.
The episode, unfolding near Ambedkar’s birthplace on his birth anniversary, reignited discussions about caste discrimination in religious spaces. While authorities maintain there was no exclusion, the need for police presence itself highlights the ongoing struggle for Dalit access to equal religious rights.
The wedding eventually resumed and concluded peacefully.