Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

  1. #1
    Join Date
    July 2012
    Age
    52
    Posts
    2,088
    Rep Power
    2640

    Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Namaste all devotees,

    I learnt a little bit ago that the temple administration at Pandaripur Vittal mandir has decided to allow women and men of all castes to become temple priests. 'Forum for Hindu Awakening' is a nice facebook based forum which alerts its members of such news and sometime back it had been circulating news about an online petition for members to sign protesting against this decision. Honestly, I did not sign the petition because I just did not feel anyone should be truly denied the opportunity for priesthood, as long as he/she is a great devotee of the lord and can prove his mastery over some shastras, etc. Even converted Christians or Muslims are ok for me. If you don't know about this info, here's a link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle6038635.ece.

    What do you feel?

    Thank you.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  2. #2
    Join Date
    October 2012
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Age
    40
    Posts
    306
    Rep Power
    665

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Namaste Viraja,

    Do you have any links to the Forum for Hindu Awakening piece on the petition? Not that I would sign it, I'm in agreement with you on who can become a priest. It just seems like FHA wouldn't encourage its members to sign such a petition, at least from my knowledge. It doesn't seem like the kind of petition that FHA would support, but then again, I don't know everything about the organization...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    July 2012
    Age
    52
    Posts
    2,088
    Rep Power
    2640

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    No, Web! The FHA had a petition and it said things like, "....we can't let this happen, imagine someone from other religion doing the puja for instance...." etc. Before I posted this thread, I searched at FHA site in facebook, but there is just too many data, and since this news is a month old, I couldn't cite it right away. I'll try again, if I find it, I'll post it here. (I was actually surprised like you are now, that is, why FHA is complaining...). Sometimes FHA says things that sound quite odd.. like the other day there was another post about 'Organ Donation' and FHA said "Organ donation does not always imply accumulation of good karma, it depends on the receiving end too, as donated organ forms a link between the donor and the recipient, the recipient's karma and his deeds while on earth do contribute a certain amount of karma to the donor"... Odd, isn't it?
    Last edited by Viraja; 21 July 2014 at 03:35 PM.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  4. #4
    Join Date
    July 2012
    Age
    52
    Posts
    2,088
    Rep Power
    2640

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Webimpulse, namaste, here's the link you requested - http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/19503.html.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  5. #5
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Namaste all devotees,

    I learnt a little bit ago that the temple administration at Pandaripur Vittal mandir has decided to allow women and men of all castes to become temple priests. 'Forum for Hindu Awakening' is a nice facebook based forum which alerts its members of such news and sometime back it had been circulating news about an online petition for members to sign protesting against this decision. Honestly, I did not sign the petition because I just did not feel anyone should be truly denied the opportunity for priesthood, as long as he/she is a great devotee of the lord and can prove his mastery over some shastras, etc. Even converted Christians or Muslims are ok for me. If you don't know about this info, here's a link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle6038635.ece.

    What do you feel?

    Thank you.

    Dear Viraja ji,

    Pranam,

    I agree with you..Personally I feel anyone who is devoted to God..has self discipline, willing to learn rites and rituals and gain jnaana,service oriented should be allowed to work as a priest.This qualities can be found in anyone and be it male or female or transgender or anyone from any caste.

    Personally I feel priests should be paid by the state government so that they do not live in poverty.

    A Hindu Religious affairs state run department should be established to look into maintaining of standards of worships at temples with clear guidelines and standard operating procedures and also priests should be paid even a an Employee Providence Fund(EPF) so that they do not have to suffer and live in poverty.

    It is the duty of every Hindu to make sure their priests are cared for..what is the use if everyone goes to temple to pray for this and that but the man who works for God is suffering in poverty?

    So since in the days of the past it was the King who used to look into the welfare of priests..these days it should be the State Government to look into all these.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Sometimes FHA says things that sound quite odd.. like the other day there was another post about 'Organ Donation' and FHA said "Organ donation does not always imply accumulation of good karma, it depends on the receiving end too, as donated organ forms a link between the donor and the recipient, the recipient's karma and his deeds while on earth do contribute a certain amount of karma to the donor"... Odd, isn't it?

    Dear Viraja Ji,
    Namaste.

    Indeed its weird..Organ donation is a supreme service to mankind.
    Blood donation itself saves lives.

    When one donates his/her organs one should do it with the mind set of performing action without hoping for the fruits of actions.

    That way no link is created between donor and recipient..the problem is many donate blood or organs thinking they can accumulate good karma for themselves after death..only when we have a motive a karmic link is formed.

    Even a simple donation of food done with a motive to reap good karma forms a Karmic link with the recipient..at the end of the day we are supposed to exhaust all Karma be it good or bad and actions without motives is the only way to exhaust all Karma hence Lord Krishna said "Karamanyevadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadacana..Ma Karamphala Hetur Bhurma Te Sangostvakarmani".."you are entitled to actions... hanker not for the fruits of it and do not let fruits be thy motive and also do not commit to inaction"

    If there is no motive of any kind and we dedicate all our actions to God no Karmic link of any kind will be formed.

    FHA should have been more specific in their explanation.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    March 2014
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    1405

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Namaste,

    I won't comment on this issue as I do not know the whole story behind the temple management's decision.

    Temples must be not too commercialized,it is appalling to see a 'rate' for everything.For offering coconut,for offering flowers,for faster darshan ,for almost everything there is a price.I think it is one of the reasons that repels people from Dharma.

    It seems that there is at least one temple that doesn't demand donations from devotees.

    TEMPLE WITH NO HUNDI

    http://templeatindia.blogspot.in/2013/05/chilkur-balaji-temple-temple-with-no.html







    He dances in the golden hall of Chidambaram, Let us worship His rosy anklet girt Feet.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Vannakkam: I can't remember where, or where I read it, but a while back I remember a news story about a state government hiring and training widows to be priests at smaller out of the way temples. It served two great purposes: giving a livelihood for the widows, and providing steady pujas for some village temples.

    There is a shortage of pries out in rural areas, so these women would effectively become pandarams.

    Aum Namasivaya

  9. #9
    Join Date
    July 2012
    Age
    52
    Posts
    2,088
    Rep Power
    2640

    Re: Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur

    Thank you, Renuka ji, Ram ji, EM ji, all for your good replies.

    This issue creates the question of 'what happens to those bright and hard-working Brahmin youths who went to special schools to train to become priests?" , and also the issue of lots of their jobs being replaced by dhalits, etc. when everywhere else due to the quote system placement in educational programs and jobs has especially become tough for the Brahmin youth...

    But I guess as they say 'where there is a will there is a way', when the chance opens wide for everyone to take their share in priesthood, the divine itself will show a way to Brahmins.

    Renuka ji, your reply to the organ donation part was wonderful.

    Thank you all, again.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •