Wednesday’s Supreme Court verdict striking down the 2006 order of the Tamil Nadu Government allowing appointment of temple priests from all castes has caused disappointment and resentment among non-Brahmins who were trained in temple rituals and those studying the Vedas, a pre-requisite to become priests.
Ranganathan, a 26-year-old priest from a backward community in Thiruvannamalai district declared his decision on Thursday to give up his priesthood (Deeksha) as a fallout of the apex court judgment. “I learnt the Vedas and puja rituals because of my passion to become a priest. But with this court verdict, I become ineligible to be appointed in any major temples,” said Ranganathan.
The bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and NV Ramana on Wednesday had ruled that temple priests in Tamil Nadu should be appointed only as per Agama Shastras and struck down an order passed by the State Government in 2006 allowing the appointment of temple priests from all castes after training in temple rituals and pujas. Agama Shastras are guidelines and regulations for worshipping in temples and Hindu rituals. A temple priest in Chennai explained that the Shastras are treatises on temple construction, placement of idols, kind of pujas to be performed in each temples.