PUNE, INDIA, December 9, 2002: Seventy-five-year-old Malatibai Joshi is no ordinary teacher. She belongs to the first and the most elite batch of women purohitas (priestesses) in the city. Trained by none other than the late Shankarrao Thatte, who opened the doors of priesthood to women in 1975, Malatibai on Sunday presided over a unique gathering of over 125 women priests, the last such get-together organized by her before she prepares for retirement. All the purohitas who assembled at the Nrusimha temple in Sadashiv Peth on Sunday, to pay respect to their “Bai,” as she is fondly called, were her students. In fact, she has an enviable record of training 700 women in the 35 to 70 age group, and a handful of men as well, during the past two decades. Chants of Purushasukta, Shivamahimna, Rudra, Saptashati Paath and Shri Sukta filled the air under the ever-watchful eye of Malatibai. “This is our last get-together, although we will continue to study under Bai for some more time. She won’t be taking new students and assignments due to her advanced age,” said professor Arya Bhide, one of her students. “Bai used to organize a get-together every year in December, where we used to recite all the stotras taught by her,” she added.
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