THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sivagiri Mutt chief Swami Satchidananda has called for equality and justice in the selection of priests at major temples under devaswom boards. He was addressing the 91st annual Sivagiri pilgrimage at Varkala near here on Saturday.
The idol installation by Sree Narayana Guru at Aruvippuram strengthened the renaissance in Kerala, he said.
“The direction that only Brahmins can be appointed as priests and chief priests at major temples like Chottanikkara, Ettumanoor and Vaikom is not appropriate. We expect that the government will take action to bust the upper caste hegemony in this and ensure justice to all,” he said.
The Swami also requested the government to make Guru’s famous work ‘Daiva Dasakam’ Kerala’s official song. “Manonmaniyam Sundaram Pillai was a contemporary of Guru. His work was declared as the official song of Tamil Nadu.
Sree Narayana Guru moulded modern Kerala. At least three shlokas (verses) of Daiva Dasakam should be made the official song of Kerala,” he said. The CM, however, did not respond to the request in his inaugural address.