Three young women from Tamil Nadu who successfully finished their training to become priests will soon be appointed as assistant priests at temples in the state, breaking a long-standing custom that only men were allowed to serve in the position.
Krishnaveni, S Ramya, and N Ranjitha will be assigned to positions at temples run by the state government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.
These three ladies and the men trainees who successfully completed the course at the Archakar Training School run by the Sri Ranganathar Temple in Srirangam on Tuesday were presented with diplomas by Tamil Nadu Minister Sekar Babu.
Upon taking office in 2021, the Dravida Munetra Kazhagam (DMK) administration began a programme to train priests from all castes. Women would be given the same training if they were interested, they added. Following this news, Krishnaveni, S. Ramya, and N. Ranjitha made the decision to enrol in the programme.
The women are of the opinion that their actions have helped many other women who want to become priests.
Ramya, a Cuddalore graduate with an MSc, remarked to India Today TV, ‘When the CM announced that even women can become priests, we saw it as an opportunity, as now women are present in all sectors.’
She mentioned that the training was initially challenging. ‘Though it was difficult, we didn’t want to give up. Our teacher, Sundar Bhattar, also taught us really well. We want to thank the government and all our teachers for their support,’ she said.
As soon as the practical training time is through, Krishnaveni declared her desire to serve as a permanent priest in temples. ‘I want to serve God and the people at the same time. That is the reason I made this decision,’ she continued.
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