Hindus Commit to Vedic Brahminical Standards

[Guest guest]

Winds of change - Dalit priests no longer impossible

"Right to imbibe the knowledge of Vedas is not the sole authority

of any sect or caste. It is ultimately in the interest of the

backward community youth to learn priesthood for social change."

Convenor of Sanskritam, Pandit Shyamanand Mishra

Rakesh Kumar, said: "Everyone is a Shudra by birth. Religious texts

say that the caste system came into existence depending on ones

deeds and action (karma)."

 

Kota, September 29, 2005

Aabshar H Quazi

The times are changing. People from backward communities, till a few

years ago forbidden to enter some of the temples, are today being

trained to become temple priests and are even performing private

pujas. This is happening in Rajasthan's Kota district at the

instance of the Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy and a Kotabased

institute - Sanskritam.

 

Young Dalit boys are being exposed to various disciplines in Hindu

priesthood as well as to the related subject of astrology. Though

the training is not very extensive, Sanjay Sharma, a spokesperson

for Sanskritam said, "We hope that some of the boys would go on to

become priests and get absorbed in temples across the country".

 

At a 20-day camp held recently, nearly a dozen boys from different

backward communities and some forward communities like Rajputs

participated enthusiastically. Astrology and courses in religious

rituals till now were the sole preserve of the forward Brahmin

community. If there were objections to "untouchables" gaining access

to divine knowledge, the Academy muted it as a tribute to the

changing times.

 

Convenor of Sanskritam, Pandit Shyamanand Mishra told Hindustan

Times, "Right to imbibe the knowledge of Vedas is not the sole

authority of any sect or caste. It is ultimately in the interest of

the backward community youth to learn priesthood for social change."

 

Asked if he was being "courageous" in trying to break into an upper

caste bastion, a backward caste student, Rakesh Kumar,

said: "Everyone is a Shudra by birth. Religious texts say that the

caste system came into existence depending on ones deeds and action

(karma)."

 

Asked if he thought he would be accepted as a priest, Rakesh said

that he too would use the Pandit suffix for advertisements. Rakesh

has also taken lessons in astrology and aims to become a perfect

priest. Another backward community student, Suresh Kumar Patel was

confident enough of becoming a complete professional.

 

Sharma said the institute has been holding training camps since past

four years and the number of dalit students joining the course have

gone up drastically. He accepts that not a single case of

appointment has come to the notice of the institute so far.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1504153,0006.htm?

headline=Dalit~priests~no~longer~impossible

[Guest guest]

That article should have been more properly titled:

 

Hindus Commit to Communist Standards

or

Hindus Commit to christian propaganda standards

 

 

Original message.

message: 8

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 21:14:04 -0000

"vrnparker" <vrnparker

Hindus Commit to Vedic Brahminical Standards

 

Winds of change - Dalit priests no longer impossible

"Right to imbibe the knowledge of Vedas is not the sole authority of any sect or

caste. It is ultimately in the interest of the backward community youth to learn

priesthood for social change." Convenor of Sanskritam, Pandit Shyamanand Mishra

Rakesh Kumar, said: "Everyone is a Shudra by birth. Religious texts say that the

caste system came into existence depending on ones deeds and action (karma)."

 

Kota, September 29, 2005

Aabshar H Quazi

The times are changing. People from backward communities, till a few years ago

forbidden to enter some of the temples, are today being trained to become temple

priests and are even performing private pujas. This is happening in Rajasthan's

Kota district at the instance of the Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy and a Kotabased

institute - Sanskritam.

 

Young Dalit boys are being exposed to various disciplines in Hindu priesthood as

well as to the related subject of astrology. Though

....

 

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