Karnataka: Villagers Superstition Leaves Koratagere Girls Hostel Abandoned for Eight Years

A government-funded girls’ hostel in Koratagere, Tumakuru district, has been abandoned for eight years due to villagers’ superstition linked to the nearby temple. Despite modern facilities, parents refuse to send their daughters, leaving the building in disrepair.

A government-funded girls’ hostel in Koratagere, built at a cost of ₹69 lakh to provide education and accommodation for girls from rural areas, has been lying abandoned for the past eight years. The hostel, intended to empower girls from Akkirampura village in Tumakuru district, was constructed with modern facilities, including residential rooms, a kitchen, toilets, and a solar power system. Despite the significant investment and its potential to improve education in the region, the hostel remains unused and is gradually falling into a state of disrepair, all because of a deep-rooted local superstition.

Fully Equipped Hostel Remains Empty

The Kasturi Ba Gandhi Balika Vidyarthi Nilaya was funded jointly by the Zilla Panchayat and the Public Education Department and was inaugurated eight years ago. The building was designed to offer a safe and comfortable space for girls from neighbouring villages to pursue their education without the burden of long commutes. However, despite being fully equipped, the hostel has never welcomed students. Its facilities are now deteriorating, with damaged windows and doors, and even the solar power system is slowly being ruined due to neglect.

Superstition Blocks Usage

The primary reason for the hostel’s abandonment is its location near the temple of the village deity, Elumandemma. According to longstanding local beliefs, women who are menstruating or have recently given birth are prohibited from passing through the temple area. 

Villagers fear that violating this rule will anger the goddess and bring misfortune. Consequently, parents are unwilling to send their daughters to stay at the hostel, despite the facility being safe and fully functional.

Previous Awareness Efforts Failed

In the past, Hulikal Nataraju, a former Block Education Officer and noted rationalist, visited the village to raise awareness and encourage parents to use the hostel. However, his efforts could not overcome the deeply ingrained fears. Generations of devotion to the goddess continue to influence local decisions, leaving the hostel unoccupied even after eight years.

Proposed Solution by Locals

Locals have suggested a simple and practical solution to resolve the issue permanently. They propose swapping the location of the new girls’ hostel with the existing boys’ hostel within the village. This, they believe, will allow girls to use the hostel safely without offending local traditions.

“People here have been devoted to the goddess for generations. That’s why they are hesitant to send their children here. Swapping the boys’ hostel with this new girls’ hostel building would solve everything. But the officials are just delaying and not doing anything,” said A.R. Madhusudan, a former Gram Panchayat member.