Sat Mar 22 14:57:21 UTC 2025: ## Garland Replaces Hook-Swinging Ritual at Karnataka Festival
**Hariharapura, Karnataka – March 22, 2025** – The annual Udusalamma Jatra Mahotsava in Hariharapura concluded Saturday without the traditional Sidi hook-swinging ritual, marking a significant shift in the festival’s observance. Following a report in *The Hindu*, the Hassan district administration deployed police to prevent the potentially dangerous practice, citing the state’s anti-superstition law.
For years, select Dalit families from Chakenahalli village had performed the Sidi ritual, but ceased in 2021. Despite attempts to revive the practice this year, the authorities intervened. Instead of human participants, a garland was tied to a spinning tree trunk, allowing devotees to continue their participation in the festival. Hundreds attended the two-day event to offer prayers to Udusalamma. The change reflects a growing awareness and enforcement of laws prohibiting inhumane rituals in the state.
First Piper 