Mangalore:For the first time in the history of any temple of the region, Sri Gokarnanatha Temple at Kudroli has appointed two widows as priests. They performed pooja to the Lord at the temple on October 6, Sunday on the auspicious occasion of Navaratri.
The two women priests namely Indira Shanthi of Bannur in Puttur and Lakshmi Shanthi of Bantwal Mooda were brought to the temple in a procession and they then performed pooja to the presiding deity Lord Sri Gokarnanatha at the sanctum sanctorum and also to Goddess Annapoorneshwari, Brahmashree Narayana Guru, Lord Hanuman and Nava Griha idols. The women priests also performed pooja to the idol of Goddess Sharada installed at the temple.
Speaking to the waiting media men, the former union minister B Janardhan Poojari who is instrumental in introducing this revolutionary move, said the appointment of two widows as priests, aims at giving women their due right in the society, particularly the widows who were looked down upon and are barred entry in some auspicious functions. He said the newly appointed women priests have been trained for four months. Continuing, Poojari said if married women or girls irrespective of caste, creed or religion come forward to become priests, they will be trained.
Moidin Bava, MLA, prominent leaders of the Billawa community as well as the temple management including H S Sairam, Raghavendra Kulur, Madhava Suvarna, Padmaraj R, B K Taranath, Ravishankar Mijar, K Maheshchandra, Harikrishna Bantwal,Kallige Tharnath Shetty, Corporator Deepak Poojari and several others were present.