Fourteen years after they were shut, the Archakar Payirchi Palli (Priest Training Schools), which trained the first batch of non-Brahmin priests in Tamil Nadu, got a new lease of life on Monday with the kick-starting of classes for a one-year course.
While the six schools were revived in line with a promise made by the DMK government, three new schools – one to train odhuvars (those who sing in praise of the Lord in temples), one to train people in thavil and nagaswaram, and a Divya Prapantha Padasalai, were also launched by Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday.
As many as 151 students from different communities between 14 and 24 years will undergo a one-year course on priest training in six schools in Madurai, Tiruchendur, Palani, Tiruvannamalai, and Srirangam and Thiruvallikeni in Chennai run by the Hindu, Religious and Endowments Department (HR & CE). As many as 38 students who passed out of the six schools during 2007-2008 have been appointed as priests in various temples after due process.
While the schools in Madurai, Tiruchendur, Palani, and Tiruvannamalai will train future priests in the Tamil Shaivite tradition, the institutes in Srirangam and Thiruvallikeni will train the students in Vaishnavite tradition. As many as 48 students will undergo various training in the three schools launched on Monday.
Besides free boarding and lodging facilities, the students are eligible for a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, a senior government official told DH, adding that a total of Rs 1.5 crore was spent on renovating the six institutes.
The schools were shut in 2008 due to a slew of court cases and were lying dormant since 2021 – the DMK government, which appointed 24 non-Brahmin priests on the 100th day of the formation of its government, decided to revive them.
“As per our promise, the government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin has revived the training schools and launched new institutes. I could see the happiness of the CM when he handed over the admission cards to 18 students. With his actions, the CM has demolished the criticism that DMK is against Hindus,” HR & CE minister P K Sekarbabu told DH.
The HR & CE department, which was considered a low-key portfolio, attained centerstage after May 2021 as the Stalin-led government made concerted efforts to counter the anti-Hindu barb hurled at the DMK often.
After successfully completing their course, the students will be appointed to vacant priest posts provided they fulfill the requirements and clear the interview process conducted by highly experienced priests.