Mangalore, Oct 3: Kudroli Gokarnatheshwara temple, has witnessed the onset of new traditions, breaking the age old conventional beliefs. After'pada pooja' of Mundaala woman and presence of widows during'Chandrika homa' and'Lakshmi pooja',the temple is all set to witness another new tradition this year with the appointment of widows as priestesses during the Dasara ceremony.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, former union minister and trustee of the temple B Janardhan Poojary said that two widows, who had been trained over the past four months in the pooja rituals, would enter the Shiva and Annapoorneshwari sanctum sanctorum in the Kudroli temple and perform the pooja on October 6.
“They will later install the idol of Lord Dattatreya below the peepal tree in the temple and inaugurate it by lighting the traditional lamp. It will be followed by Maha Annasantharpane to the devotees. In the future, the widows will be appointed as priestesses of the temple and will be provided with priestly wages,” he said.
He stated that the decision of appointing the women as priestesses was made by the board of trustees with the aim of providing equal rights to women.
He said that in many parts of India widow are treated as lesser humans and are kept away from auspicious occasions. Special status to widow can bring remedy to such exploitation.
Installation of lord Ganapati, Adishakti idols will held along with idols of Navadurgas on October 5.
Book written by B Devadasa, trustee, Gokarnatha temple, “manasiddare Marga” based on real life stories is being released on October 12, he announced.
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