Author: Tarannum Manjul
Publication: The Hindustan
Times
Date: May 8, 2002
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/080502/detnat01.asp
In a few days from now, another
- the last and most decisive - bastion of the Hindu upper castes is set
to fall in Uttar Pradesh. With the graduation of the first batch of curriculum-trained
priests in the state, several Dalit pundits will be ready to offer their
services for the entire range of traditional Hindu rites.
The class of 2002 in the UP Sanskrit
Sansthan's paurohitya (priesthood) course includes several Dalit and other
non-Brahmin students. The three- month course that was started in February,
aimed at training students in the range of karmakand rites from mundan
and vivah sanskar (marriage) to vrats (fasts) and tyohar (festivals).
The students have been trained by
priests who were picked from a large pool of Sanskrit scholars in the state.
The scholars were given extensive
training before being asked to fan out in the districts to impart their
knowledge to priesthood-hopefuls. With the course now nearing completion
almost everywhere, lists of successful trainees have begun to come in -
they will receive certificates, and will be recognised as 'registered pundits'
qualified to perform karmakand rites.
The course attracted 35 students
on an average in each of the 70 districts where it was offered. It was
welcomed enthusiastically at some places, and received a lukewarm response
at others.
The maximum number of Dalit trainees
in a district was five - in Varanasi. There were four in Lalitpur, three
each in Gorakhpur and Unnao, two each in Mirzapur, Lucknow and Chitrakoot,
and one each in Jaunpur, Deoria, Mau, Ambedkarnagar and Kushinagar.
"We had kept the course open for
everyone, as we wanted the knowledge to be made available to all," said
Dr Sachidanand Pathak, director of Sanskrit Sansthan.
"But we had no idea that we would
receive such a good response from castes other than Brahmins as well."