Pujari Work in Tamilnadu
VILLAGE TEMPLES ARCHAK’S FORUM:
Origin-Growth and Achevements of Gramak Kovil Poojarigal Peravai
Contents
- Introduction
- Grama Devata Temples
- Village Temple Poojaris
- Training for Poojaris
- Poojari Training camp at Thennangur
- Break Up of Figures
- Curriculum
- Impact of Training
- Persons Adorned with Yagnopaveet
- Garuda Appears
Introduction
“Bharat lives in villages” is an old adage Inspite of fast industrialisation and urbanisation all over the country, still Bharat lives in villages
There is a Tamil saying that “One should not live in a village where there is no Temple” Based on this firm conviction people used to build the temple for their worship even before building houses for their habitation in any village. That is why you find innumerable temples big and small not in thousands but in lakhs -spread all over Tamilnadu. Every village, nay, even a hamlet has more than one temple dedicated for anyone of the mythological Gods we have in Hindu pantheon.
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Grama Devata Temples
Apart from the usual temples for Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh and Karthikeya every village and hamlet has an exclusive temple for the “Grama Devatha.” This Grama Devatha concept though prevalent all over Bharat, Tamilnadu has more temples for Grama Devatha than any other province as it is in the case of other temples also.
“Grama Devatha” is a chosen deity for the entire village safeguarding the interests of the villagers. Hence every family in the village would have an emotional attachment to this deity and the temple. Many times the “Grama Devatha” may not be housed in well built temple structures In many villages these deities are being worshipped by the villagers with all devotion and reverence though the deity may be in the form of just a stone pillar or mound of earth.
According to a scholar who has done extensive research on the Grama Devathas of Tamilnadu there are four thousand manifestations of Grama Devathas being worshipped by Hindus in Tamilnadu?
“Grama Devathas” are nothing but the manifold manifestations of the supreme reality described as “Brahman” in our Upanishads. These manifestations have been nurturing the faith of the illiterate masses. These manifestations alone appeal to the mindset of the masses who are in the lower rung of the ladder of spiritual progress.
Mass congregational prayers are offered in these temples by the villagers for seeking the grace of Grama Devatha for rains, to control epidemics, for health and wealth of the villagers, for good harvest etc. These temples have been functioning as community centres, as theatres for folk arts and centres of folk literatures from times immemorial.
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Village Temple Poojaris
Every “Grama Devatha” Temple has a Poojari who conducts poojas regularly and also acts as a special messenger of the God in the form of oracles in answering to the prayers of devotees. Depending upon the personal spiritual discipline of the Poojari, these temples gain importance and thousands of devotees in and around this village throng to these temples. Poojaris are appointed in the temples as a matter of hereditary right
These Poojaris as long as they were maintaining their internal and external purity and also strictly adhering to the high spiritual discipline expected of them, they enjoyed public adoration and were respected by one and all. Their advises were sought on matters of individual and collective life of the villagers.
But due to external factors and internal disorders, the roots of our culture were uprooted and the Poojari tradition also declined. Village economy declined steadily due to the onslaughts of foreign rule and the temples lost their lustre. Poojaris who were maintained by the entire village contributions in the form of paddy, milk and pulses slowly were denied these items and they had to take to agricultural labour for sustaining their body and the soul.
Poojaris economically poor and spiritual bankrupt soon became the laughing stock of the villagers but they still clung to their traditional profession of serving as Poojaris. These Poojaris who were ignorant of any meaningful forms of worship and their spiritual significance made the entire worship in the temple as a meaningless routine ritual which could not attract the devotees in large numbers.
The atheist propaganda could not be countered by these unlettered and ignorant Poojaris. People became a prey to the onslaughts of Dravidian movements. The Poojaris even under the most adverse circumstances withstood the onslaught and with the meagre income on one side and poor knowledge of mantras and methods of worship on the other side sustained the worship in Village Temples without any break. But for their steadfast devotion and continued selfless services, no temple would have survived to this day. The traditional knowledge of the temple rituals was not handed down to the younger generation. Poojaris who once enjoyed a high status in the village became despicable persons and objects of ridicule.
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Training for Poojaris
Even for the Poojaris who sincerely wanted to learn the mantras and proper modes of worship, there was no institution or centre to teach. It was at such pitiable situation Vishva Hindu Parishad stepped into this arena and took efforts for training the Poojaris in their temple rituals and connected matters.
Though there are traditional schools for imparting training to Brahmin Archakas, the non-Brahmin Poojaris who mostly hail from backward communities do not have any institution so far to train in methods of Pooja. Hence ours is the first attempt in this direction. Many eyebrows were raised over the feasibility and the possible outcome of such efforts.
A humble beginning was made in 1990. In response to the advertisements that appeared in the popular local dailies hundreds of Poojaris awaiting such an opportunity applied for joining the training.
Poojari Training camp at Thennangur
Course materials were prepared and a residential training programme was planned for 15 days. Poojaris were asked to reach the venue of training at their own expenses. Boarding and lodging facilities were provided free of cost. Even in the very first training camp we had 108 Poojaris as trainees. The initial response we had enthused us for holding similar training camps each for 15 days at least twice in a year.
During the training period, the teacher and the taught sit together eat together and sleep together, without bothering about which caste one belongs to.
Till July 1998, sixteen courses of 15 days’ duration have been conducted and 1200 Poojaris have undergone the training. As a matter of principle, we are not interested in the castes of the applicants. But for statistical purposes, we collect the particulars. Poojaris from all castes have been trained.
Break Up Figure is as Follows
| Scheduled Castes |
145 |
| Scheduled Tribes |
54 |
| Most Backward |
73 |
| Backward |
670 |
| Forward |
258 |
| TOTAL |
1200 |
Out of the above, 214 Poojaris have been initiated into Siva Deeksha and 203 Poojaris have been adorned with Yagnopaveetha Dharanam irrespective of their castes.
Many great religious leaders such as His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal, Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Thavathiru Santhalinga Ramaswami Adigalar of Perur Adheenam, Thavathiru Ooran Adigal, Thavathiru Swami Nithyananda of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, His Holiness Swami Haridoss Giri of Thennangur have visited our training classes and blessed the Poojaris.
Other important Vishva Hindu Parishad leaders, who have visited the camps, are Man. Shri Ashok Singhal, Man. Shri Giriraj Kishore, Man. Shri Sitaram Agarwal, Man. Shri Dattatreya Kasthure, Man. Shri Sadananda Kakade, Shri Baburao Desai, Shri Y. Raghavalu and Sri B.N. Murthy of Bangalore. Shri C. Subramaniam, former Governor of Maharashtra also has visited the camp.
Curriculum
The curriculum includes Dhyana Sloka of every God in rural temples, Shodasopachara type of worship, stotras and hymns, and Namavalis.
Impact of Training
Now what is the impact of this training on the Society? First of all, the trained Poojari will not enter into, or encourse caste-conflicts in his village since he is convinced by and has no an iota of doubt that the Hindu society is one big tree, and the castes are small branches which do not matter at all. He is ready to make a sacrifice for the collective welfare of the Hindu society in his village. Besides being a Poojari, he will be a preacher. He will attend to the needs of, and conduct religious rites in every Hindu family in his village.
Persons Adorned with Yagnopaveet
he Poojari will chant mantras properly in the temple and these mantras enhance the spiritual vibrations in the temple. Hence people are attracted towards temples and offer Poojas; the Poojaris’ income also increases! More devotees; more money!
He will be honoured as a master in religious matters. He will stop the disappearance of customs and rituals, which are absolutely necessary for the internal strength of the society.
But his primary responsibility is in another direction. He will stop proselytisation. The propaganda by other missionaries will be thwarted. The Poojari will take a group of youngsters and question the propagandists. He will explain the unassailable greatness of our religion, age long history, dependability of our galaxy of Gods and the scientific foundation of our philosophy, customs and rituals, catholicity and universality, adaptability and acceptability.
Did anyone ever notice the welcome change in the mode of worship of a trained Poojari? Yes. Many people write letters praising the change in the Poojari How nicely he pronounces the mantras, the Gayathri, the namavali, which, he did not know some 15 days ago. A letter from one Smt. Nirmala Rangaswami, Ooty, written to the Principal Acharya of the training programme is illustrative of the total transformation in the personality of the Poojari after undergoing our training.
“……Our Village Temple Poojari who has undergone your training is totally a transformed new person. We wonder how such a change could be brought about in him. He opens the temple every day in the early morning and he writes every day the details of Nakshatra, Thithi, Month etc., in the blackboard kept in the temple. People have started respecting him very much. This year he conducted the Navarathri Pooja, Sahasranama Archana etc., in the temple. Now many people invite him for performing Punyahavachan at their homes”.
Garuda Appears
One trained Poojari offered his services to perform kumbabishekam of a newly constructed temple in a village. The members of the Renovation Committee, asked him, ‘Well, my dear Poojari, if Sivacharyas perform Kumbabishekam, a Garuda used to appear on the sky, go round the tower at the time of pouring of water on the Kalasa at the top of the tower. Can you assure us that a Garuda would appear at the proper time”
“Yes, Sir … !” But ho! To his bad luck, when the Lagna was nearing not even a sparrow appeared on the sky! He was sad. But he did not lose heart. It flashed in his mind. Oh! Garuda Gayathri was taught to him in the training class. ‘Why not pray to Garuda, now?”Oh, Garuda! I will repeat your Gayathri for ten times. Kindly give Darshan to all of us. Actually, a wonder took place. At the end of the seventh time, a Garuda appeared on the sky flying over the Gopuram. Everyone was surprised and admired the devotion of the Poojari.
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