Savarkar’s Struggle Against Untouchability, Part III
In pre-colonial India, the caste system established a deeply entrenched hierarchy that confined individuals to rigid social categories. Among its harshest expressions was the exclusion of the so-called Untouchables from Hindu temples. The larger and wealthier the temple, the more uncompromising the restrictions. For centuries, such practices persisted unchallenged, accepted as immutable aspects of Hindu life and religious order.
By the 1930s, however, India stood at the threshold of social transformation. Reformers and emerging nationalist leaders began questioning the legitimacy of caste-based exclusion, recognizing it not only as a moral injustice but also as a corrosive force undermining the unity and vitality of Indian society. Among these reformers, Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar emerged as one of the most uncompromising voices calling for the abolition of untouchability and the reformation of Hindu society from within.
Temples as Centers of Social Power
During his period of internment in Ratnagiri, Savarkar came to view temples not merely as religious sanctuaries, but as powerful institutions at the heart of Hindu social life. Exclusion from temples symbolized more than spiritual deprivation – it codified social inferiority and perpetuated centuries of humiliation. To dismantle untouchability, Savarkar argued, reformers had to challenge these very structures that upheld discrimination under the guise of religious purity.
As early as 1926, Savarkar publicly declared that no individual should be denied entry into a place of worship on the basis of caste. This radical assertion struck at the core of orthodox Hindu sentiment and provoked fierce opposition from conservative circles. Yet, Savarkar remained undeterred. For him, reform was not a matter of convenience—it was a moral and civilizational necessity.
A Moral and Rational Revolt
Savarkar’s critique of untouchability combined rational inquiry with ethical conviction. He questioned the theological validity of a religion that deemed any human being “polluting” to the divine presence.
What kind of God is it who feels defiled when seen by Untouchables? God is almighty and merciful. He grants salvation even to the sinner who repents. He liberates and forgives. Is this not what Lord Krishna preaches?
By invoking the universal principles embedded within Hindu philosophy itself, Savarkar exposed the contradictions of those who defended social segregation in the name of dharma. His argument was not anti-religious – it was a call to purify religion of superstition and restore its ethical core.
The Vitthal Temple Movement: A Historic Breakthrough
The struggle reached a decisive moment in 1929 with the organization of a “mixed mela” at the Vitthal Temple in Ratnagiri. For the first time, members of the so-called Untouchable castes were permitted to enter and worship within the temple. This seemingly localized event carried profound symbolic significance—it was a direct challenge to a social order that had, for millennia, denied access to the sacred on the basis of birth.
The “Vitthal Temple entry” – became a landmark in India’s social reform movement. It demonstrated that entrenched customs could indeed be transformed through courage, reason, and persistent moral leadership.
Beyond Temple Entry: The Vision of Social Equality
For Savarkar, the issue of temple entry was not an end in itself but part of a larger project – to reconstruct Hindu society on the foundations of equality and unity. Access to temples symbolized the recognition of shared humanity. His campaign thus extended beyond religious reform into a vision of social reconstruction, where individual worth was determined by character and contribution, not caste.
The success in Ratnagiri inspired further movements across India, influencing broader campaigns for temple entry and social justice. Savarkar’s leadership illustrated that meaningful reform required both intellectual clarity and the courage to confront orthodoxy.
Final Thoughts – Sacred Space, Shared Humanity: Savarkar’s Legacy
Through his unwavering commitment, Savarkar helped dismantle some of the most rigid barriers of caste-based exclusion. His reformist vision was rooted in inclusivity, civic equality, and the conviction that religion must elevate humanity rather than divide it.
Savarkar’s struggle reminds us that spirituality and discrimination are fundamentally incompatible. By opening temple doors to all, he sought to transform places of worship into symbols of sacred space as well as shared humanity – where divinity is not confined by birth, but expressed through equality and compassion.
His example endures as a call to renew society through courage, reason, and moral clarity. Savarkar’s battle against untouchability stands not only as a landmark in India’s social reform but also as a timeless moral challenge: to build a community where dignity, respect, and access to the sacred belong to everyone.
💭 What do you think? How do you think Savarkar’s approach to temple reform compared with other social reformers of his time? Can Savarkar’s campaign against untouchability be seen as part of India’s broader freedom struggle? How does the idea of “sacred space, shared humanity” challenge traditional notions of purity and pollution? What does equality before God mean in a modern, pluralistic society? Are Savarkar’s ideas on social reform still relevant to India’s ongoing debates on caste and inclusion today? How might we apply Savarkar’s blend of rationalism and moral conviction to contemporary social movements? Do you see parallels between temple entry reform and current struggles for equal access in other areas of life? What does “shared humanity” mean to you in the context of faith, community, and nationhood?
👉 Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Sources:
GODBOLE, Vasudev Shankar. 2004. Rationalism of Veer Savarkar. Itihas Patrika Prashan: Thane/Mumbai.
KELKAR, B. K. 1989. „Savarkar: A Thee-dimensional view“, in PHAKE, Sudhir/PURANDARE, B. M. and Bindumadhav JOSHI. (Eds.). 1989. Savarkar. Savarkar Darshan Pratishtnah (Trust): (Bombay) Mumbai, 42-60.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1971. Six glorious (golden) epochs of Indian history. Savarkar Sadan: Bombay. 1971.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1924. An Echo from Andamans. Vishvanath Vinayak Kelkar: Nagpur, in GROVER, Verinder. 1998. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar: A biography of his vision and ideas. Deep and Deep: Publications: New Delhi.
VARMA, Vishwanath Prasad. 1985. Modern Indian Political Thought. Volume II. 8. Ed. Lakshmi Narain Agarwal: Agra, 386-391.
Wolf, Siegfried O. 2010. Savarkar’s Strategic Agnosticism. A compilation of his political and economic worldview, in Heidelberg Papers in South Asian Comparative Politics (HPSACP), No. 51, Heidelberg University, Germany.
Wolf, Siegfried O. 2009. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar und sein Hindutva-Konzept. Die Konstruktion einer kollektiven Identität in Indien [“Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his concept of Hindutva: The construction of a collective identity in India.”]. Online Dissertation: Heidelberg University: Heidelberg.
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