MADURAI: It took T Marichamy a decade to break the glass ceiling of brahmanical priesthood and finally get the job as ‘archakar’ at the State-run temple in Tallakulam two years ago. Ask 36-year-old Marichamy, who hails from backward Agamudiar community, he would say, his appointment was only a consolation and not the ultimate victory that deserves celebration. “It is heart-wrenching that 203 others who studied with me (barring two who died) have not been given the promised jobs till date,” he said.
After his schooling, Marichamy, a native of Mochikulam village in the district, had worked at photography studios for four years until 2005 before graduating in Tamil literature. Talking to Express, he said that he had an interest in religion since his childhood and joined a padasala in Madurai in 2007. “Full of zest, thirst for vedic knowledge and with high hopes, I joined the padasala, unaware of the dynamics of centuries-old antagonism towards our entry into temples as priests,” he said.
“While we (the students) did not face any discrimination, our teachers had to face threats of ostracism from other brahmin priests. Nevertheless, our teachers taught us with zeal,” he said, adding that he worked at a private temple for nine years before getting the priest’s job at Ayyappan temple in Tallakulam on February 26, 2018. For Marichamy, the job at the temple that comes under Kallazhagar temple in Alagarkoil is gratifying as he said it would help him serve God.
The father of three, who earns a meagre Rs 10,000 a month, said that though most of the devotees at the temple know his caste, everyone treats him with the same reverence as they would treat any other priest. “Evidently, acceptance has seeped into their minds over the years,” he said with a smile. Though he never faced discrimination at his temple, he said there were incidents of subtle alienation at the hands of the priests of other temples governed by Kallazhagar temple authorities.
“Plus, it’s saddening that the Tamil Nadu government, fearing backlash, did not make any official announcement about my appointment till date while Kerala government, in October 2017, took pride in introducing the state’s first 36 non-brahmin priests (including six Dalits) to the world,” he added. While many have switched jobs over the years, only about 50 trained non-brahmins have stuck to priesthood, conducting private religious ceremonies like weddings, homams and performing rituals in small private temples. Finding out a reason for their plight, Marichamy said, “Hereditary priesthood has become the order of the day for Brahmin priests. And, the very first step towards social inclusion in religion, as envisaged by the Dravidian stalwarts, has turned a failure.”