Kerala High Court's landmark ruling: Caste or lineage no barrier to becoming a temple priest, says religion has no such mandate

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : The Kerala High Court has issued an important ruling regarding the appointment of priests in temples. The court clarified that belonging to a particular caste or lineage cannot be a prerequisite for becoming a priest. The court stated that no Hindu scripture stipulates that only those from a particular caste or lineage can perform puja.

Court's Comment:

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K. V. Jayakumar stated that anyone claiming that only members of a particular caste can become priests has no constitutional protection. The court made this observation during a hearing on the policy of the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board, which considered only candidates with certifications from Tantra schools eligible for priestly positions.

In fact, in Kerala, there is a society called Akhil Kerala Tantri Samajam, which is affiliated with approximately 300 traditional Tantri families. This society runs a Tantri school, where training is provided in temple traditions and worship practices. A degree from this society was considered necessary for priest recruitment. The petition questioned that while this school is primarily open to Brahmins, it discriminates against candidates from other castes.

The High Court stated that there is no religious provision that entitles only those from a particular caste or tradition to become priests. The Court cited the 1972 Supreme Court case, Seshammal v. Tamil Nadu, which held that the appointment of priests is a secular process and is decided by trustees, not by religious compulsion.