http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Dalits_build_Gandhi_temple_in_Sambalpur/rssarticleshow/2423260.cms
Dalits build Gandhi temple in Sambalpur 3 Oct 2007, 0121 hrs IST,TNN SAMBALPUR: God is worshipped in many forms. And for Dalits of Bhatara in Sambalpur district of Orissa, it's Mahatma Gandhi, the messiah of "untouchables". The Dalits in this remote hamlet have built a temple to worship their "God", who brought succour to the lives of so many marginalised and backward communities in the country. This 39-foot-high temple really comes alive on Gandhi Jayanti. "We have a big festival on October 2 and special prayers are held to worship the Father of the Nation," said temple priest Gokul Bag. "We also offer special prayers on January 30, his death anniversary," the priest said. Shunned by upper caste people, these poor villagers decided to pray to a "true God". "Many a time, we are barred from entering temples. That is why we decided to build a temple where we could worship our own God, somebody who would listen to our prayers," said Narendra Kumar Bag, a Dalit from Bhatapara. "And who can be better than Mahatma Gandhi, the messiah of Dalits?" But unlike other places of worship, the chanting of hymns doesn't pervade this temple. Instead, worshippers sing Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram and other bhajans.
