Can women perform tantric rituals in temples? Though no ancient Hindu text prevents women from performing pujas and other tantric rituals in temples and associated venues, one hardly sees women priests in Kerala temples, despite the State pioneering renaissance movements decades ago.
Now, a 47-year-old mother and her 24-year-old daughter are stoking a silent fire in the State’s conservative Brahmin community by donning the role of priests in a temple and performing tantric rituals in neighbouring temples.
It was Jyothsna Padmanabhan, a double postgraduate who recently completed her MA in Vedanta at Madras University, who first heralded a change at the age of 11 by holding the tantric installation of goddess Bhadrakali at Painkannykavu Sree Krishna Temple at Kattoor in Thrissur, where her father is the chief priest. Since then, she has been conducting daily pujas and other tantric rituals at the temple whenever she is home.
The guiding spirit
Her mother Archana Kumari too has followed suit by holding daily pujas at the temple and conducting installation and re-installation rituals at nearby temples. Thriprayar Sri Rama Temple priest Tharananellur Veluthedathu Padmanabhan Namboothiripad had initiated Jyothsna into the world of Tantra when she was just seven. He was also the ‘acharya’ for Archana.
Both Archana and Jyothsna told The Hindu, “Though women priesthood has raised some eyebrows in the community, nothing can stop us from performing tantric rituals as devotion is our guiding spirit. Second, our family has never associated priesthood with gender,” they say. However, they would stay away from temples during the time of menstruation, although some tantric rituals consider menstrual blood as pure and sacred.
‘Women more suited’
According to Padmanabhan Namboothiripad of Tharanellur Thekkiniyedathu Mana, husband of Archana, no religious texts or ancient tantric traditions had barred women from performing tantric rituals or chanting Vedic hymns. However, no woman had come forward to assert their rights in a patriarchal society. “In fact, women are more ideal for priesthood as they can channel divine energy better than men. Further, women are more spiritually aware than men,” he says.
