NATION | Tuesday, May 25, 2010


Kerala gets its first temple priestess

VR Jayaraj | Thrissur

Eleven-year-old Jyotsna Namboothiripad has created history by becoming the first female temple priest (tantri) in Kerala by performing the ritualistic installation of the goddess’s idol at the ancient Painkannikkavu Durga Devi Temple at Kattur in Thrissur district.

For the Class VII student, the moment meant realisation of her most cherished dream but for Kerala, it symbolised the opening of a new era in the tantri system at Hindu temples. Jyotsna is daughter of Padmanabhan Namboothiripad of Irinjala-kkuda’s Tharananellur Math-om, one of the two schools of tantric rites in the State.

“I have been enthusiastic about learning tantras and temple systems from my early childhood,” said priestess Jyotsna. And her wish? “There is much more to learn in tantra. I want to learn as much as possible,” she said.

Senior Hindu priests of famous temples said they welcomed the entry of a priestess into temple rites.

Padmanabhan (Aniyan) Namboothiripad, who trained Jyotsna in tantras, said the system was not forbidden for women. “Any woman with proper knowledge in tantras can become a tantri. Then why have we not seen a priestess so far? The only reason is that nobody had thought of it. The reason could also be the domination in the field by male priests,” he said.

On Sunday morning, Jyotsna reached the Painkannikkavu temple owned by her own Tharananellur family, accompanied by the guru and the elders in the family and entered the renovated Goddess Durga shrine after paying respects to them.

She performed all installation rites as required by the tantric system under supervision of the guru. After installing the idol, she performed Brahmakalasa Abhi-shekam and Parikalasa Abhishekam without faltering.

Jyotsna had begun her training to become priestess under Aniyan Namboothiripad from early childhood and she passed its first phase by accepting the manthra deeksha (initiation into scholarship of the Suktas) three years ago. She accepted the karma deeksha (initiation into practice of rites) later.

As the 11-year-old went about the idol installation process, devotees outside the shrine chanted praises of Goddess Durga and after the ritual she distributed the prasad to all of them, who sought her blessings.

The rituals ended with father Padmanabhan Namboothiripad and mother Archana seeking the blessings of the priestess by prostrating at her feet.

Jyotsna would now perform the pujas on all important occasions, including the installation day festivals, at the Painkannikkaavu temple, one of the 108 ancient temples of Goddess Durga in Kerala. She would occupy the conceptual position of the mother of Goddess Durga of the Painkannikkavu temple.

Those in the Tharananellur Mathom also hold the positions of tantris in various famous temples in central Kerala like the Koodal Manikyam temple of Irinjalakkuda and the Sree Rama Temple of Thriprayar. The other tantric school in Kerala is the Thazhamon Mathom of Chengannur in Alappuzha district.




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