Three women are set to become priests in Tamil Nadu after training under the government's 'People of all castes can become priests' scheme. The women, Ranjitha, Ramya and Krishnaveni, received training at the centre in Srirangam’s Ranganathaswamy Temple. Now that their course is completed, the students will receive training in prominent temples before they are appointed as priests.
A report by the Puthiyathalaimurai TV channel said that out of the 94 students who received training to become priests, three were women. One of the women, who spoke to Puthiyathalaimurai, said that there were 22 students at the training centre in Srirangam as of now.
They are part of the cohort of students who received training in 2022 at various centres in Thiruvannamalai, Chennai, Pazhani, Srirangam, Tiruchendur, and Madurai. These training centres are open to people from all castes. The students at these centres received training in agamas and various pujas and rituals that are expected to be performed at temples.
This is the first time women have completed their training ever since the scheme was introduced by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) first in 2007, by then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The scheme was discontinued shortly after the first batch of students graduated in 2008 but was reintroduced in 2022 after the DMK came to power again.
Speaking about women training to be priests, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that despite women achieving milestones in every field, they were still not allowed inside the sanctum of the temples but that had changed now. He said, "Despite women's achievements as pilots and astronauts, they were barred from the sacred role of temple priests even in the temples for female deities, as they were deemed impure. But change is finally here! In Tamil Nadu, as our Dravidian Model Government has removed the thorn from Thanthai Periyar's heart by appointing people of all castes as priests, women are also now stepping into the sanctums, inaugurating a new era of inclusivity and equality.”