http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20070505234438&Topic=0&Title=ORISSA&Page=Q
ORISSA May 7, 2007 Keredagada temple entry: Collector files ATR in HC Sunday May 6 2007 10:06 IST KENDRAPARA: Collector Kashinath Sahoo filed an action taken report in the High Court on Friday to sort out the Keredagada Jagannath temple issue. Earlier, the court on April 18 had directed the collector to submit a report about the steps taken by the district administration to allow the entry of dalits into the temple. The court had also on December 5, 2006, allowed entry of all the Hindus into the temple after a dalit leader Akshya Mallick filed a writ petition. Mallick had filed another writ petition three months back alleging that the authorities were violating the earlier order of the court by not allowing dalits into the temple and building an iron grill on the outer wall after demolishing nine holes. For years, dalits had been worshipping the Lord through the nine holes. The authorities also closed the Singha Dwar (Lion's Gate) of the temple for the devotees and allowed people to worship the deity through the 65 holes of the iron grill, he submitted. For past two months, dalits have been worshipping the deity through the holes of the iron grill. But the priests decline to offer them 'prasad'. Many dalits were ostracised by the upper caste people, alleged the dalit leader in his petition.
