CHENNAI, INDIA, August 14, 2021 (Times Now News): The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday appointed 58 people from other castes who finished training as priests in the temples which come under Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment. Though the government order for appointing people who are fully trained as priests from other castes was passed in 2006, so far only 2 were appointed as priests due to legal stay until 2015. As promised by the DMK in the 2021 elections, on Saturday the Chief Minister MK Stalin made the appointment orders.
In the 58 who were appointed today, 24 were trained in Government-run pathashalas and 34 from private pathashalas. In the 58 who were appointed today, 5 are from schedule classes, 6 from Most Backward Classes, 12 from Backward Classes and 1 from the general category. Along with this, appointments for 138 other people who will work in temples at different levels were also given. These appointments are made in line with the HR&CE department’s latest announcement of performing pujas in Tamil at the temples in the State. The priests who were given appointment orders today will be used for performing pujas in Tamil. Hindu religious and charitable endowment under the DMK Government also have announced that the HR&CE department will also train women who come forward to take up training to become priests in the temples in Tamil Nadu.
https://www.timesnownews.com/chennai/article/58-non-brahmins-appointed-as-temple-priests-in-tamil-nadu/799027