Tirupati Lord goes to Dalit village

New Delhi: On Wednesday evening, Lord Balaji, the diety at the famous Tirupati shrine in Andhra Pradesh, will make history.

He will be spending the night in a Dalit colony at the Thallapaka village.

This is part of a programme called Dalita Govindam, initiated by the Tirupati Devasthanam, to fight caste prejudices.

Temple priests will perform sacred rituals at the colony and the colony residents will also be accorded treatment, ususally reserved for important devotees visiting the Tirupati temple.

Thallapaka has witnessed several clashes in the past between Dalits and upper caste Hindus over entry into the Tirupati temple.