Picture a temple in southern India, 1924. A group of Dalits, members of the lowest caste, approach the entrance. They want to worship, to see the deity, to participate in their own religious tradition. Temple authorities block them. Signs posted outside read: "Entry forbidden to dogs and members of certain castes."

This continued for decades. Reformers protested. Some Dalits converted to other religions in despair. Finally, in the 1930s and beyond, temple entry movements succeeded in opening many Hindu temples to all castes. Laws were passed. Barriers came down.

Sacred space, designed to create belonging, had instead become a tool of exclusion. And the pain of that exclusion sparked movements that changed society.