Three women to become temple priests in Tamil Nadu, first such move for inclusivity

Three women were trained by the Tamil Nadu government to serve as temple priests for the first time at an Archakar Payirchi Palli, a school for priests.

According to Chief Minister M K Stalin, this signals the beginning of a “new era of inclusivity and equality”. He claimed that many temples did not permit women to become priests, even at a time when they were becoming astronauts and pilots.

”Despite women’s achievements as pilots and astronauts, they were barred from the sacred role of temple priests, deemed impure, even in the temples for female deities. But 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 sanctums, bringing a new era of inclusivity and equality.” Stalin stated on platform X.

Tamil Nadu State Government program

The Tamil Nadu government has now allowed women to enrol in a one-year programme at the Archakar Payirchi Palli (Priest Training Schools) after selecting non-Brahmin priests.

This year, three women graduated with recognition, and 17 more have signed up for the 2023–2024 class. Earlier this week, the trio received certificates attesting to their successful completion of the course. S Ramya, S Krishnaveni, and N Ranjitha, who all graduated from the Priest Training School affiliated with Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam near Tiruchirapalli, will be the first group of female priests to perform pujas at Vaishnavite temples.

“We have decided to give them one more year of training at a temple to ensure that they are well-versed with mantras and agamas. Once they complete the additional training, they will be considered for appointment of priests in temples based on merit,” according to P K Sekarbabu, Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), who spoke to DH.

Ramya, Krishnaveni & Ranjitha

S Ramya reportedly holds an MSc degree from Cuddalore. According to what she stated in interviews, she originally found the training challenging. Krishnaveni, a student of mathematics, claimed that her decision to pursue training was motivated by her desire to serve God and the people. Ramya and Krishnaveni are related, and their family members persuaded them both to enrol in the one-year study for which they received a 3,000 stipend. Ranjitha, a BSc graduate, enrolled in the course out of curiosity.

They gained knowledge of the poojas, mantras, and other religious rites needed to carry out their duties as priests during the programme.

The news breaks in the midst of the Sanatan controversy, which put the DMK in a delicate situation after Tamil Nadu minister and chief minister’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma to dengue and malaria. While Udhayanidhi defended his remarks and said that he was criticising a caste-based society, the BJP used the incident to isolate the opposition alliance INDIA. PM Modi critiqued INDIA for attempting to annihilate “Sanatan.” As a result of the disagreement, INDIA’s political parties were split, and Stalin asked his party’s members to refrain from further discussion.

Manickam Tagore, a Congress member from Virudhunagar, hailed it as a “revolutionary step forward” and encouraged the central government to roll out a similar programme nationwide during the forthcoming special session of Parliament honouring “75 years of independence and Amrit Kaal.”

While the concept of female priests is new to Tamil Nadu’s Agama temples, the state’s many subcultural deities, including Sudalai Madan, Madurai Veeran, Karuppannaswami, Lord Pavadairayan, or Kaaliyamma, Maariamma, Pechiyayi, and Karuppai, have had female priests performing rituals and managing temples for decades or even centuries.

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