Siddaramaiah justifies consuming meat prior to temple visit

Dharwad: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified consumption of meat before visiting the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara temple in the town of Dharmasthala.

On Sunday, CM had enjoyed a sumptuous meal with fish and chicken at Bantwal and later visited Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara kshetra which had created controversy among a few.

Speaking to reporters after Congress conference in Dharwad, he said, “God has not told not to come to the temple after consumption of meat. Bedara Kannappa also had offered meat of the deer to Shiva deity. It is not wrong to go to temple after consumption of meat,” 

“Has God asked not to eat meat?” he asked the news reporters.

Temple authorities at Dharmasthala were not available for comment, and were busy with the 50th vardhantyotsava of the pattabhisheka of D Veerendra Heggade, dharmadhikari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, to be held on Tuesday.

Veeru Shetty, personal assistant to dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade, told a news daily that “We don’t have any say on this. Worship is a personal relationship between the devotee and God. We don’t check what a person has consumed before entering the temple to pay obeisance.”