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Home > Temples of Kerala > Temple rites Temple ritesThe evolution of priesthood pre-dates the establishment of structural temple. The scriptures testify that yajnas and yaagaas were in vogue even during Vedic period when there were no temples as such. In the Rg-Veda which is the oldest of Vedas(between 4000 and 2500 B.C.)156 there were four classes viz, Brahmins, Kshathriyas,Vaisyas and Siidras based on guna-karma (good actions) and well defmed activities.A person is considered a Brahmin only if he has realised the Brahman. One cannot be considered a Brahmin merely because one is born in the caste of Brahmin. In the Saama-Veda (1400-1000 B.C.) the Brahmin is referred to as an officiating priest. The Yajur-Veda (1400-1000 B.C.) consists of two parts Krishrta-Yajur-Veda and Sukla-Yajur-Veda, of which the former recognizes the predominant role of Brahmins in sacrifices, while the latter specifies the different duties of Brahmins and Kshathrias besides ear-marking one hundred and fifty castes based on profession. The Atharva-Veda, the last among the Vedas, gives evidence for the existence of different castes. Though in earlier Vedic period the classification of the four classes of people was in a rationalized way, the later centuries witnessed its development purely based on the pre-dominance of caste system. In Kerala, the general belief as substantiated by the traditional accounts given in Keralolpatthi and Kerala Mahaathmyam is that Lord Parasurama created the land of Malabar - the Karmabhoomi or country where salvation depends entirely upon good actions and bestowed the same upon the Brahmins of the sixty four graamas as poured out gift for the governance and for conducting rites in temples established by Him. The legends of most of the renowned temples indicate that Lord Parasununa himself consecrated the deities. This does not mean that these graamakkars are the earliest ones. Historically Keralam is said to be the Sanskritized form of Cheralam where cher or chertha means added and alam means 'land or region', which indicates Kerala is a tract of land reclaimed from the sea where aboriginal tribes lived on the Sahyaadris prior to the immigrants who were brought and settled by Lord Parasurama. Undoubtedly the aboriginal people Were the early settlers on the hilly tracts and subsequently the Draviqians and Aryans migrated to these added tracts of plains and coastal areas. In the Trtivancore State Manual of V. Nagam Aiya it is mentioned about Kanikkars (a hill tribe) that they feel also the existence of a higher power or God, whom they do not worship in the form of a specially made image, but to whom they offer sacrifice of plantain fruits and rice flour on an even raised ground, in the months of Kanni and Meenam and generally on, occasions of sowing harvest or domestic events. They worship also sylvan deities set up by other classes in shrines or God in the manifested form of huge rocks and kaavus or forests. The Kapikkar is thus still, if not in the fetish, in the primitive stage of worship probably the first stage in the religious evolution of all races. This was the position at the beginning of this century. Over the decades some changes have taken place but the changes are not very significant in the interior of forests where traditional Kanikkars still live. Similarly, in early times some other tribes and lower castes worshipped their own tutelary deities, demons, evil spirits or even deceased ancestors called Chivars. The Maadan and Panchavar (Anchu or five Thambrakkals) still continue to be their deities. All these imply that these aboriginal tribes had some mode of worship, may be crude, in the Pre-Dravldan and pre-Aryan period. But the establishment of structural temples as well as the well-defmed priesthood' class with thaanthric modes are really the contributions of those inmigrants into Kerala, particularly those Aryan immigrants who belong to Vedic -Brahmins. The historical background of Kerala indicates that during the Sangham age (first five centuries A.D.) Kerala had an organized society and dignity of labour received universal recognition. The rigid division of society on the basis of caste system which became a feature of social life from the later Sangham age onwards was absent in the early Sangham period... The first batch of Brahmin immigrants must have come to Kerala in the third century B.C. itself immediately following the arrival of Jain and Buddhist monks... By the eighth century A.D. the Aryans had set up 32 graamams in Kerala and established their supremacy over the land. Therefore a stratified society came into existence in Kerala resulting in many social evils like untouchability and unseeability. In short over a period of thousand years the sociocultural scene of Kerala underwent remarkable changes, particularly due to the influence of temples on the social status of Hindus. Temples were built for separate castes and separate levels of priesthood emerged during this period. In spite of the various cardinal principles enunciated by the great seers on the concept of Truth the caste restrictions in Kerala continued unabated till the close of the nineteenth century. The renaissance in India at that period was neither merely an artistic and literary movement nor a religious movement but was essentially cultural and spiritual in nature. The teachings of Sree Ramakrishna, the Great Master, and his worthy disciple Swami Vivekananda gave to the Nation a new message that awakened new hope and pride in ourselves. Swami Vivekananda stressed and reiterated the ancient fundamental values revealed in the Upanishads, the Sreemad Bhagavath Geetha and the Yoga-Saasthras and gave a new outlook to Hindu idolatry. Swamiji's remark that saying image worship is sinful is like saying that childhood is sinful still holds good. . By this he proclaimed that if men like Adi Sankara, Chaithagya Maha Prabhu and Sree Ramakrishna found image worship helpful in their religious pursuits there may be millions of Indians who will fmd them equally helpful in the pursuit of truth. Almost at the same time the Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Mrs. Annie Beasant worked incessantly to propagate the very essence of religion and the ideal of religious outlook among the younger generations. It had its own effect in Kerala also. In the last two centuries, Kerala produced some renowned Gurus for uplifting the down-trodden. Of them the yeomen services of Sree Chattambi Swamikal, a great saint (1853-1924); Sree Narayana Guru, a saint and a great social reformer (1856-1928) and Swami Aagamananda (1896-1961) are to be gratefully remembered. The role of Sree Narayana Guru is particularly significant in building temples and consecrating idols by himself for the lower castes, at a time when the lower castes were denied permission in entering temples owned by higher castes. Another noteworthy feature was the Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936 of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Billa Rama Varma, apart from social movements like Vaikom Sathyaagraha, Guruvaytlr sathyaagraha etc. The net result of all these measures and agitations was that all places of Hindu worship were opened to all Hindu believers without disturbing the sanctity of temples, ie all were permitted to enter all parts of the temple, except the sanctum sanctorum, namaskara-mandapa and thitappalli (where nivadya is prepared). In these places only permitted persons can enter. Another remarkable development is that even Brahmins now worship in temples belonging to other castes and having non-Brahmin priests and take prasaadam from non-Brahmins. It is a great social change and it may be construed that believers have clearly understood the principle behind image worship and that caste is not a barrier in worshipping God. All these imply that Kerala temples have reached a stage where the deity of the shrine alone is important. Priesthood, however, has relevance only for giving vitality to the deity for which different modes of worship are followed. The priesthood has thus become an essential feature of temple and hence due importance is given to it. This is the historical, social and cultural background of priesthood in Kerala.
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