13 Brahmin candidates without even basic knowledge of Puja rituals; first Scheduled Caste priest at Devaswom Board temple

KOCHI: The Devaswom Board in Kerala has paved the way for a Scheduled Tribe to join the Santhi posts in temples for the first time. SA Arjun, a Scheduled Tribe, is also included in the rank list for the part-time Santhi post in the Travancore Devaswom Board. There are no Scheduled Tribes in the main list. Arjun is the only one in the supplementary list. According to the reservation rotation, 44th and 92nd posts are for Scheduled Tribes. 125 vacancies have been reported. The board, which included Paravur Rakesh Thantri and Aluva Thanthra Vidya Peedham's Shankaranarayana Pramod Namboothiri, interviewed 450 people. More than 60 percent were non-Brahmin candidates.

Half of the Tantri Samaj members fail exams

Out of the 27 Brahmin candidates who came with certificates of traditional Brahmin Tantris for the Shanthi appointment in the Travancore Devaswom Board, 13 did not even know the basics of puja rituals. They failed in the practical test and interview.

The All Kerala Tantri Samajam had filed a petition, questioning the appointment process and stating that certificates of traditional Tantris were required for the post of part-time Shanti. The Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB) had allowed these 27 candidates to attend the written examination and interview as per the interim order in this petition. The details of their examination results have been submitted to the High Court.

The plea argued that the qualification to issue certificates is only for traditional Thantris, not for recognized Tanthra Vidya schools, and that the KDRB does not have the authority to conduct interviews. Of the 41 recognized Thanthra Vidya Peedhams, the vast majority belong to backward classes. The petitioner of the Thantri Samaj, Vezheparamba Eesananan Namboothiripad, was a member of the committee appointed by the KDRB to inspect these Tanthra Vidya schools to give them recognition.