The women complete training under the government's 'All Caste Archaka' scheme floated by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.
Published Sep 14, 2023 | 4:55 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 14, 2023 | 4:55 PM
S Krishnaveni, S Ramya and Ranjitha had successfully completed the training at the Archakar Training School run by the Sri Ranganathar Temple in Srirangam.
In what can be described as a revolutionary moment, three non-Brahmin women have completed training to be priests under the “All Caste Archakas” scheme in Tamil Nadu, even as 15 others have enrolled for the course conducted by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE).
Breaking the male pre-eminence in HR & CE temples, S Krishnaveni, S Ramya and Ranjitha successfully completed the training at the Archakar Training School run by the Sri Ranganathar Temple in Srirangam.
On Thursday, 14 September, the three students received their course completion certificates from HR & CE Minister PK Sekar Babu in Chennai.
Chief Minister MK Stalin said women stepping into the sanctum sanctorum would usher in a new era of inclusivity and equality. “The change is finally here,” he said on X.
பெண்கள் விமானத்தை இயக்கினாலும், விண்வெளிக்கே சென்று வந்தாலும் அவர்கள் நுழைய முடியாத இடங்களாகக் கோயில் கருவறைகள் இருந்தன. பெண் கடவுளர்களுக்கான கோயில்களிலும் இதுவே நிலையாக இருந்தது.
ஆனால், அந்நிலை இனி இல்லை! அனைத்துச் சாதியினரும் அர்ச்சகர் ஆகலாம் எனப் பெரியாரின் நெஞ்சில் தைத்த… https://t.co/U1JgDIoSxb
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 14, 2023
“Despite women’s achievements as pilots and astronauts, they were barred from the sacred role of temple priests — deemed impure, even in temples for female deities. But the change is finally here!
“In Tamil Nadu, as our Dravidian Model Government has removed the thorn from Thanthai Periyar’s heart by appointing people of all castes as priests. Women are also now stepping into the sanctum sanctorum, bringing in a new era of inclusivity and equality,” Stalin tweeted.
Speaking to media persons, Minister Babu said that as many as 94 students, including three women, from different communities have successfully completed their one-year archaka training.
“The three women who have undergone training as Bhattars (priests), will be posted as interns in Vaishnavite temples that are under the control of HR & CE department. After training, they will be posted as assistant priests,” he said.
As a part of the course, all three women received Dheeksha from the Mannargudi Sendalangara Jeeyar in the sixth month of their training.
Ramya, a postgraduate from Mel Adhanur village in Cuddalore district, conveyed her wish to her parents to become a priest. In 2022, she applied for the course at the Srirangam temple. After an interview by the HR & CE officials and Bhattars, she was admitted.
Ramya said that out of the 22 students at Srirangam Temple Institute, only three were women. “Fifteen women have enrolled for the course in the current academic year. We expect more women to come forward and get trained in future,” Ramya said at the event where she received her certificate.
She expressed the hope she would be a priest in a renowned temple.
Krishnaveni, a Mathematics graduate, said that she belonged to a family of priests.
“My grandfather and father were the priests at the Mariamman temple in our village. From childhood, I have been devoted to worship and wanted to do pujas in a proper way by learning all rituals, sasthras and agamas,” she said.
Ranjitha said that she was interested in chanting devotional hymns and serving the Lord Perumal throughout her life. “All I want is to be an example and serve the people through pujas,” she said.
The HR & CE Department runs six archaka schools and three music and Divyaprabandham training centres across Tamil Nadu.
In 2021, Suhanjana Gopinath, a 28-year-old woman, was appointed as Odhuvar at the Dhenupureeswarar temple at Madambakkam in Chengalpattu district.
In 2006, the DMK government under M Karunanidhi issued a GO (No 118) stating, “Anyone of the Hindu faith, who has got proper qualification and training, can be appointed as archakas in Hindu temples.” On 29 August 2006, the Governor gave assent for the Act.
The same year, the government opened training schools on the recommendation of the AK Rajan committee and 207 trained archakas passed out of the schools.
However, the Adhi Sivachariars Association of the Madurai Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple got an interim stay from the court against the appointment of archakas from all castes.
After a long legal battle, the Supreme Court gave its green signal to appoint archakas from any caste and held that the appointments should be made on the basis of agama rules and proper training.
In 2018, Marisamy, a backward community person, who completed the archaka training, was appointed as the priest at the Ayyappan temple in Madurai.
So far 24 Archakas — five from Scheduled Castes, six from Most Backward Classes, 12 from Backward Classes and another from a non-Brahmin forward caste community — have been appointed as priests in several temples, including the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam Oppiliappan Temple, Madurai Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple, and the Vayalur Murugan Temple.
