Kerala High Court Rules Against Caste Restrictions in Temple Priesthood

Court Decision on Temple Priesthood

On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court determined that the priesthood in temples cannot be confined to specific castes or lineages, asserting that such limitations do not constitute an essential religious practice.

A division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar was reviewing a petition from the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam, which contested the accreditation of certain institutions as Thanthra Vidyalayas by the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board.

Thanthris serve as the principal priests and spiritual leaders in Kerala's Hindu temples, overseeing significant rituals and establishing guidelines for daily temple operations.

The Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam represents approximately 300 traditional Thanthri families.

In Kerala, Devaswom Boards function as independent government entities responsible for managing Hindu temples.

The High Court rejected the petitioners' claim that the Devaswom boards lacked the necessary expertise to accredit Thanthra Vidyalayas.

The petitioners argued that only individuals trained under hereditary Thanthris should be permitted to grant such accreditation, asserting that allowing Devaswom boards to accredit priest training institutions infringed upon constitutional religious freedoms.

However, the court found this argument unsubstantiated and dismissed the petition, stating, “No factual or legal foundation has been established to justify such a claim in the present case.”

The court emphasized that the Devaswom boards had implemented a thorough institutional framework before granting accreditation.

According to the court, the syllabus includes Vedic texts, rituals, religious practices, and worship methods taught by qualified scholars and Thanthris.

Furthermore, the accreditation process entails both theoretical and practical training lasting from one to five years, culminating in initiation ceremonies.