Rendered jobless after the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department took over the control of the Navapashana Navagraha Temple at Devipattinam, a group of non-Brahmin archakas appealed to the Collector to protect their livelihood.
Led by K. Azhagarsamy, about 12 archakas, along with their family members, presented petitions to Collector S. Natarajan here on Monday urging him to prevail upon the HR and CE Department and allow them to perform Navagraha puja in the historic sea temple.
Mr. Azhagarsamy said they were part of the 50 priests – Brahmins and non-Brahmins –who had been performing rituals for pilgrims visiting the temple for several years. They were rendered jobless overnight after the department took over the management in January.
While the Brahmin priests performed ‘pariharams’ for those who offered worship at the temple with special prayers, the non-Brahmin priests performed the Navagraha pujas, Mr. Azhagarsamy said.
After the Brahmin priests left the temple around 11 p.m., they would help the pilgrims and devotees with pujas, he said.
After taking over the administration of the temple, the department had appointed two priests who performed the rituals and the non-Brahmin archakas were not allowed to perform the pujas, the petitioners said. They also claimed that they were well versed in Sanskrit and had been certified by K. Pitchai Gurukal, chief priest of Sri Karpaga Vinayakar temple in Pillaiyarpatti, to perform pujas.
They had undergone a one-month course at Sri Karpaga Vinayakar Veda Agama Vidhyalayam at Pillaiyarpatti, the petitioners claimed. The Brahmin priests had no problems as they continued their profession and performed the ‘pariharams’ outside the temple, but the non-Brahmin priests had no means of livelihood, they said. The petitioners were the sole breadwinners of their families and depended on the money given by the pilgrims to take care of their families and educate their children.
