MADURAI: Clad in white dhoti with holy ash smeared on forehead, arms and chest and sporting rudraksha around their necks, youngsters are learning to chant Saivite hymns at the Odhuvar training school in Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.
Ask them, the students would say they took up the three-year training that follows modern gurukul system due to the satisfaction they get through chanting the hymns to temple deities.
After the government announced revival of odhuvar training schools during the budget session, the school on the premises of Meenakshi Sundareswarer Temple was shifted to a more spacious location on the same campus. The new facility that can accommodate up to 20 students was inaugurated by Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) PK Sekar Babu on September 25.
Joint Commissioner/ Executive Officer of Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple K Chelladurai told TNIE the government-run odhuvar training schools are located only at Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai and Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai in the State. "Following Madurai, Tiruvannamalai temple too, last week, invited applications from eligible students for admission for current academic year," he said.
The school in Madurai, started in 2012, was earlier functioning at a building near Avani Moola Street and was shifted to the temple premises later. This apart, there are many private odhuvar training schools in Nagapattinam, Villupuram and Cuddalore.
Eligibility & admission
Both men and women belonging to Hindu religion, who have completed class VIII and are aged between 13 to 20 years, are eligible to apply. They are subjected to a voice test at the time of admission. The students are given free lodging, food and uniform besides a monthly stipend.
The Joint Commissioner added, recently, the stipend has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
'All for divine blessings'
K Sivanadiyar (20), a final year student at the school said, "The profession is not about making money but its all about the immeasurable contentment derived by singing hymns to get divine blessings from temple deities."
V Jayaraman (16), a fresher from Theni said it would take some time to get adapted to the modern-day gurukul system and a life without mobile phones. "Since Brahmins have the privilege to enter the sanctum sanctorum as archakars by virtue of birth, they do not opt to become odhuvars who are allowed only till the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum of temples as per temple agamas," a student said.
During the course, the students are taught three subjects - Carnatic music, odhuvar hymns and Tamil.
Kosala Devi (35), the music teacher said the students are taught to sing Panniru Thirumuraigal (12-volume anthology of hymns in praise of Lord Shiva) that includes Thevaram, Thiruvasagam, Tirumandiram and Periya Puranam through Carnatic music.
A 64-year-old odhuvar teacher, Manikandan, said the Meenakshi temple has five odhuvars and that a student belonging to the first batch of the training school at the Meenakshi Temple was recently appointed as one of the five odhuvars at the temple.