For the first time in its 900-year history, the Vitthal Rukmini temple in Pandharpur is likely to get non-Brahmin or even women priests. The temple management committee has decided to invite applications for the post of eight priests from all castes, including scheduled caste and tribes. The candidates will be interviewed next week.
The decision to make priesthood open to women and members of all castes was taken in a meeting of the temple committee last week. ?No caste or group of people can claim monopoly on serving God and hence this decision was taken. We have invited applications from women priests also for the shrine of Rukmini,? said former minister Anna Dange, head of the committee.
Being practising Hindus and well versed with the rites and rituals are the pre-conditions set for the candidates. Santosh Teli, the chief executive officer of the temple committee, said: ?As a condition has been put that the applicant must be a practising Hindu, neo-Buddhists will not be able to apply. We feel we will get applications from other backward classes, Marathas, nomadic tribes and vimukta jatis and other castes,? he said.
The last date for sending applications is May 15, and an interview will take place on May 16. The new priests will be announced on May 18.
According to Teli, the shrines of Jyotiba and Khandoba already have non-Brahmin priests. ?However, other popular shrines like Kolhapur, Tuljapur or Astavinayak have Brahmin priests only,? he said. Teli pointed out that in Maharashtra, Satayshodak Samaj had been training people from non-Brahmin castes to be adept in Vedic rights.
Located in Solapur district, the Pandharpur temple is the nerve center of the Varkari community.