On Friday, for the first time in its 900-year-old history, non-Brahmin men and women priests performed the puja in the famous Vitthal Rukmini temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
“We are committed to perform our duty as per directed by the law. We are grateful to the support extended to us from all quarters of the society,” said Sanjay Teli, executive officer of the temple’s Trust. He said all daily services of Lord Vitthal and his consort Rukmini (or Rakhumai) will be performed as per the tradition.
The temple, a favourite of the Warkari sect in Maharashtra, attracts over two crore devotees a year. During the Hindu month of Ashaadh, lakhs of Warkaris and other pilgrims from across the State walk to the temple.
The Supreme Court in its verdict on January 15 stripped Brahmin families (Badve and Utpat) of their right to appoint priests and keep donations. The families had claimed ancestral rights over the temple.
Following the verdict the VRTT interviewed 129 candidates for the post temple priests, in which non-Brahmins and 16 women candidates were included. Speaking to The Hindu in May, Anna Dange, the Trust’s chairman, said it was time to set an example and that no group should claim monopoly over serving as priests.
However, the decision to appoint non-Brahmin priests was opposed by several Warkari organisations and local groups. “We decided not to entertain the opposition. They still oppose our decision, but they are free to do so. We had an obligation to perform our duty and we have done that,” Mr. Teli said.
Among the 10 priests appointed by the committee, two women priests have been given the responsibility to perform Rukmini’s puja. Among the rest, Racheyya Hiremath is from Karnataka while Kedar Namdas is from the Bhakti sect, who are followers of Saint Namdev.
