Why in News?

• Recently, the Supreme Court ordered status quo on the appointment of archakas (priests) in Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is meant by Agamas?
• Why did the Priests of Agamic Temples Approach SC?
• Government and Judiciary’s Attempts to Ensure Non-discrimination in the Appointment of Priests
• The Debate over the Appointment of Temple Priests in Tamil Nadu

What is meant by Agamas?

• The Agamas are a collection of Tantric literature (in Tamil and Sanskrit) and scriptures of Hindu schools.
  • The three main branches of Agama texts are Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Shakta.
• The term ‘Agamas’ literally means tradition or that which has come down, and the Agama texts describe yoga, mantras, temple construction, deity worship, etc.
• Temple worship according to Agamic rules can be said to have started during the Pallava dynasty (551-901 AD) in South India, but they were fully under establishment during the Chola dynasty (848-1279 AD).
• The niches of following Agamic rules for building Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu continues even in the modern era.
• Almost all the temples follow the same custom during festivals and worship methods with minor exceptions.

Why did the Priests of Agamic temples Approach SC?

• An association of archakas had challenged reforms introduced by the present govt of Tamil Nadu, which are seen as attempting to change the hereditary system of appointing archakas in Agama temples.
• The petitioners asked for the quashing of the state government’s order, which paved the way for individuals trained in Agama Sastra, irrespective of caste and gender, to assume priesthood.
• The petitioners alleged the state government was unlawfully attempting to appoint non-believers as archakas, infringing upon religious rights protected under the Constitution of India.
• They contended that knowledge of the Agamas required years of rigorous training under learned Gurus and a one-year certificate course run by the government is not sufficient to assume priesthood.

Government and Judiciary’s Attempts to Ensure Non-discrimination in the Appointment of Priests:

• In 1971, the DMK government amended the TN Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) Act to abolish the hereditary appointment of priests, and to allow individuals from all castes to be priests.
• In 2006, the government declared all qualified persons eligible to be priests. The SC struck down this in 2015, emphasising the importance of adhering to Agama Sastras while ensuring that constitutional rights were not compromised.
• In the N Adithayan (2002) case, the SC ruled that no custom pre-existing the Constitution could exclude non-Brahmins from performing puja in temples if they were otherwise trained and qualified.
• In the Guruvayoor Devaswom case (2004), the SC upheld the appointment of non-believers to the temple trust board.
• In 2009, Madras HC ruled in favour of a woman priest, who was facing opposition from male priests regarding her inherited right to conduct puja at the Arulmigu Durgai Amman temple. The court -
  • Underlined the irony of objecting to puja by a woman in a temple with a female deity,
  • Emphasised historical precedents of women conducting rituals,
  • Rejected the unwarranted application of Agama Sastras and norms in this context, and
  • Stressed on the need to eliminate gender bias from temples to realise the constitutional mandates under -
    • Article 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds ‘only’ of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth”) and
    • Article 51A (e) (fundamental duty to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women).
• The above efforts (of the govt and judiciary) asserted that neither caste nor family succession should dictate eligibility for performing temple rituals and the appointment of pujaris (archakas).
  • Thus, ensuring equality and non-discrimination in the appointment of priests.

The Debate over the Appointment of Temple Priests in Tamil Nadu:

• Despite Constitutional provisions and the abolition of hereditary priest appointments in TN, the Agama tradition persists in temple administrations.
• TN also saw a campaign for “reclamation” of temples ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections.
• Arguments of the Hindutva groups:
  • Why only Hindu temples are under government control, and not churches or mosques?
  • The introduction of the HR & CE Act 1951 restricted the role of the government to administration and finance.
  • Rituals in temples are not just ceremonial displays but involve extensive unseen preparations.
  • Thousands of priests maintain these traditions with no expectation of financial gain, reflecting the enduring importance of these customs.
  • Priesthood should not be merely an option for a candidate who has failed to get a bank or a government job.
• Debates over the hereditary rights of priests or the pushback against the SC’s decision to allow the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple reflect the persistent friction between modernity and tradition, which defies straightforward solutions.