Tamil Nadu govt to train interested women to be temple priests; revive 6 training schools

Close on the heels of appointing non-Brahmin priests in temples managed by the HR & CE department, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has decided to revive six Archakar Payirchi Palli (Training School for Priests) in the next two months to admit interested students from all communities for training.

The training schools will also open their doors to women for the first time, highly placed sources told DH, adding that women who are interested in getting trained as priests can also apply for the one-year course for which admission is likely to begin in a month.

Tamil Nadu will probably be the first state to train women as priests -- the HR & CE minister had in June said the government will find ways to train interested women.

Also read: Meet Suhanjana, the only female odhuvar in Tamil Nadu

The sources also said the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department has been asked to bring in changes to the curriculum in the year-long course to ensure that the to-be priests are given practical training for a few hours every day on ways to perform poojas and exercise their duties.

The then DMK Government established six training schools – four for Shaivite tradition and two for Vaishnavite tradition – in 2007 to end “caste discrimination” in the appointment of priests and ensuring social justice, a core principle of the Dravidian movement. Due to a slew of court cases and a regime change in 2011, the training centres became non-functional.

“All the six Archakar Payirchi Palli will be revived in two months. We want to start the admission process in a month and begin classes in October. Now that trained people from all communities have been appointed as priests in temples, we hope many students will join the course,” a senior government official told DH.

He said the revised curriculum will include practical training for the students in temples inside the campus or near the institute to ensure that abhishegams are performed as per tradition.

On whether women can apply for the course, the official said anyone irrespective of gender who fulfils the basic qualification criteria is welcome to send in their applications.

“We have already said we will train interested women as priests. The archakar course is open to anyone, and if female students apply for the course, they will be trained. There shall be no doubt about this,” the official explained.

The decision to revive the training schools after about 13 years comes on the heels of CM Stalin handing over orders of appointments to 24 trained persons from different communities as priests in temples. Earlier, only two priests from non-Brahmin communities were working in HR & CE temples.

The new government’s move was hailed as “historic” and was projected as one of the achievements of the DMK dispensation in the first 100 days in office. The move also landed in a row with reports that existing priests were removed to make way for the trained ones, a charge stoutly denied by Stalin himself in the state Assembly.

Also read: Non-Brahmins appointed as temple priests only in vacant posts: Stalin

The official said the Archakar Payirchi Palli in Palani in Dindigul district is being spruced up to welcome students, while work on reviving buildings of the remaining five schools will begin soon. “Most of these schools still have a headmaster and an agama teacher and there is no problem in admitting students,” the official added.

Another senior official said the government will fast-track the process of filing 500 vacant posts, including that of priests, in temples. He added that the process is “transparent” and anyone who has undergone training at a government or institutes run by religious mutts and private individuals can apply for the jobs.

“What matters is merit. That is how the 200-odd appointments for which were orders were given last week took place. Experienced priests sit on the panel and interview the applicants,” he said.