Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday if the Sabarimala tantri was unhappy with the Supreme Court verdict the best course open to him was to leave the place.The chief minister said the tantri’s move to shut down the temple for an hour and conduct purification rituals after two women, in their 40s, offered prayers was a violation of the Supreme Court verdict.
Devaswom Board president has asked the tantri to give an explanation within 15 days.Board president A Padma Kumar came to the fore harshly criticising Sabarimala head priest (tantri) Kandararu Rajeevaru for closing the temple and performing purification rituals after two women offered prayers at the hill shrine.
Thazhamon family has come out against the Devaswom board for asking the explanation of Sabarimala thantri for performing purification rites after two women sneaked into the temple.
“How can Devaswom board ask the explanation of thantri, who is not its employee? Devaswom board is not paying salary to the thantri and he only takes dhakshina from the board. In the case of traditions of temples including Sabarmala, final decision is that of thantris. The government has no right to remove thantris,” Thazhamon family reacted.
The press statement issued by the family
“Several remarks made against thantris over the past many days through media have been misleading people and hence we are pointing out some of them.
1. Thazhamon family was in Nilakkal till AD.55. Sabarimala thantram was handed over to them in BC100. This was assigned by Sree Prasurama Maharshi. Thantrik rights are passed down generations and it is not given by the Devaswom board.
2. Thantris are vested with rights to decide on temple traditions and rites. It varies from temple to temple depending on the concept behind the deity of the temple. Thantris acquire the ability to perform rites and pujas as per the science of thantra and through gurukula system of learning. Since expertise is required for performing the rites as per thantra Shastra, thantri’s is the last word in the case of temple tradition.
There are also many Supreme Court orders that underscore the supreme authority of thantris in matters of temple tradition. Hence neither the Devaswom board nor the government has any right to question the thantri.
3. Thantris do not take salary but only dakshina from the Devaswom board
When the above mentioned are the true facts, misleading statements made by authorities are hurting the sentiments of Thazhamon family members. We have come out with this press release only because we don’t want people to go without knowing the truth.
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