Agama Sastra trained women will be allowed to be temple priests: TN Minister
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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister Sekar Babu, who is in charge of Hindu temples' administration in the state, said the government would consider appointing women as Temple priest if they are trained in the required Agama Sastra.
Minister Babu said that the arrangements for women priests can be made if women want to take up the role. Agama Sastra is the manual for worship and rituals at temples.
Talking to the Indian Express, Babu said that though the government has not held discussions on the topic, any woman trained in Agama Sastra interested in taking up the role will be provided with all needful arrangements.
However, his comment did not go well with many as they raised objections against appointing women as temple priests rejecting tradition.
The Minister added that women who meet the criteria of their expertise in Agama Sastra will be given the necessary training and interviewed before the appointment. His statements have triggered a debate in the state.
Once appointed, women priests will be given five days of leave every month to stay away from the temples during menstruation. The minister said that the government will be considering all aspects including practical ones to ensure social acceptance, reported the Indian Express.
The Madras High Court, in 2008, had allowed a woman priest to conduct prayers and rituals in a temple after her father, who was a priest, passed away. The order was issued after a woman named Pinniyakkal filed a petition seeking permission to perform pujas at the Arulmigu Durgai Amman Kovil in a Madurai village where her father worked.
Pinniyakkal had been performing the rituals since 2004 after her father became sick. After his death, she was stopped by another individual who claimed to be the hereditary priest of the temple.
The High Court stated that there are no laws or schemes that forbid a woman from performing pujas at Arulmigu Durgai Amman Kovil. Justice K Chandru in his verdict said that it is ironic considering that the presiding deity of the temple is female. Many including the then CM M Karunanidhi lauded the court's decision.
