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Home > Temples of Kerala > thanthris or high priests Thanthris or high priestsThe definition of Aachaarya or Thanthri has already been discussed . The Thanthri has a vital role in a temple. As the deityinstalled in a temple is always for the sreyas (welfare) of devotees the Thanthri has to conduct all the rituals like the consecration rites, expiatory rites etc with the intention of ensuring continuance of vitality of the deity. According to legend Lord Parasurama established 108 Siva temples and 108 Devi temples in the newly reclaimed region of the sea extending from Gokarnam (Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka) in the north, to Kanyakumari (in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu) in the south and entrusted the priesthood of these temples to 12 families (Manas/illoms). Of them the most important is the Tharananallur thaanthric family which follows a different thaanthric text of Parasurama-paddhathi while the others follow the thaanthric system based on different texts. The net result is that in earlier centuries these families of Thanthris had very few temples under each, and most of them lived near temples which were located mostly on the banks of rivers or at some chosen places of divinity. Adi Sankaracharya, who is considered instrumental for the introduction of a definite procedure of pooja system in many temples in the State also lived on the banks of Poorna river (Periyar). Similarly, on either banks of Chandragiri, Neeleshwar, Kavvayi, Perumpuzha, Va!apattanam, Neela (Bharathapuzha), Karuvannur, Chalakudi,Meenachil, Manimala, Pamba and Achankovil, Neyyar etc there are a good number of very ancient temples around which also lived many families of Thanthris. In course of time, particularly during the last thousand years, the number of temples has grown to tens of thousands and at the close of the present century, hardly few years to go, there will be over twenty thousand temples in Kerala. This number does not include the shrines (Thevaara-moortthis) meant exclusively for family members. Along with the increase in the number of temples, the families of Thanthris also had to undergo divisions, for one reason or the other, and the families spread over to the length and breadth of the State. Each sub-divided family still holds the thaanthric right of some temples besides retaining the original family (illom/ mana) name with slight prefixes of the new desom or place name. In short, it can be seen that there are number of families of thanthris with the same name in different parts of the State like Tharananallur, Puliyannur, Bhadrakaap Mattappalli, Mekkad, Cheplmukku etc. The right of priesthood in each temple belongs to the family of the Thanthri who consecrated the idol and according to the thaanthric saasthras he has to be associated with all important and special rites of temples except normal rituals. An exhaustive list of families of Thanthris is not available at present though their number is less than 500 in the State. However, considering the rich tradition and heritage certain Thaanthric families deserve special mention, as they still have a say in the pooja system of the State. The more important family names are Ubarangu!am (Deegampadi) of Kasaragod district; Putayoor (Taliparamba) of Kannur district; Pannippalli (Kozhikode) of Kozhikode district; Kalpuzha (Thriprangod), Kattumaatam (Valiakunnu, near Kuttippulam), Kaaladi (Valiakunnu), Muzhippilappali (Manjeri) and Puliyannur (Ponnani) of Malappuram district; Erkkara (Pattambi), Aandaladi (Pattambi), and Kaimukku (Lakkidi) of Palakkcid district; Tharananellur (Irinjalakuda), Mekkad (Mala) and Kunnathu Patinjaredath (Peruvanam) of Thrissur district; Vezhapparamba (Karumaloor), Bhadrakaali-Mattappalli (Ankamali), Marangattambikkara (Kunnathunad) of Ernakulam district; Katayikkol (Aimauam) and Surya Kaaladi of Kottayam district; Thaazhamon (Chengannur), Puthumana (Ambalappuzha), Pullamvazhi (Harippad) and Adimuttathur (Budhanur) of Alappuzha district; Kuzhikkatt (Thiruvalla), Parambur (Thiruvalla) and Thamarasseri (Kulakkada) of Pathanamthitta district; Neelamana (Poothakkulam), Mudappilappalli (Kunnathur), Kokkulath Thazhamangalam (Vettikkavala), Oruthazhappalli (Pathanapuram) of Kollam district and Kookkara (Trivandrum), Atthiyara (Trivandrum) and Narayanamangalam (Trivandrum) of Trivandrum district. In addition to this list there are other families also locally well-known and descended from the ancient families of Thanthris. In addition there are some thaanthricfamilies living in neighbouring districts of Kerala who have thanthram in temples of Kerala and vice-versa. The above list is only illustrative and not exhaustive. Thanthris can be classified into two types -Kaaraanma and non-Kaaraanma. The. present system now prevailing in the State is that Kaaraanma thanthris inherit the thaanthric right of a temple.. Once an idol has been consecrated by a Thanthri, he and his family get the Kaaraanma right ie, the inherited right to be the high priest of the temple. This was the practice in ancient days. kaaraanma right holds good to the senior-most member of that family and he is duty bound to learn thaanthric rites exhaustively and visit the temple (for which he has kaaraanma right) and conduct poojas as per the system inherited by him, especially when any important ritual other than nithya-nidaanam is conducted. All special and important rites have to be fixed in consultation with him. In the absence of senior-most member of the kaaraanma family (who is expected to do the rites of the temple) and also when he is not in a position to attend to the rites, at various temples at a time he can depute a junior efficient member well-versed in thaanthric rites of the same family for the conduct of the servic.g; but the former will always be responsible for any loss, damage or improper dischrirge of service. No proxy is allowed for Thanthri. The general rule followed is that if there is no male member, in the family to inherit the right to perform duties of Thanthri, another competent person can be appointed by the Yajamaana or administrator of the temple. It is generally seen now-a-days that the thanthris also conduct important poojas not only in the temples where they have thanthram but also in other temples. Such incidents are common in the case of poojas for Naagas for example, the families of Thanthris of Pathirkunnathu , Pampumekkattu, Mannarssala, Vettikkod, Aamayida, Nagampozhi etc conduct poojas for Naagas installed in other temples and places where they have no hereditary right. The second type of Thanthri is non -kaaraanma. This happens in two situations: fIrstly in the absence of any information about the family who has installed the idol and secondly when the Thanthri shirks his responsibilities and cannot attend to his duties for various reasons. It has come to the notice that saanthikkars who have no knowledge on thaanthric rituals have engaged in installing idols, as the Ooralaars could not distinguish between rituals and duties of a Thanthri and those of a Saanthikkaran. In these situations the temple administrators can take steps to select a new Thanthri for the execution of special rites. Normally, there is only one Thanthriin a temple. But in exceptional cases there are more than one Thanthri. (eg: in Mahadeva temple, Vaikom; where the first Thanthri could not offer bali according to the beating of paani (for details refer the book Sree Vaikom Perumthrikkauil prasaadam pp. 120-123). Of late the eligibility and role of a kaaraanma Thanthri has become a matter of discussion. In this context it is essential to spell out the duties of a Thanthri. On this aspect detailed discussions were held with Brahmasree (s) Vezhapparamb Parameswaran Namboothirippad and Kalppuzha Divakaran Namboothirippad and both of them have the opinion that Thanthris should basically possess the required inner strength and knowledge of thaanthric texts. The assumption is that a Thanthri transfers all the divine energy earned by him by saadhana, to the bimba at the time of prathishta by the process called aavaahana. Therefore; the chaithanya (vitality) of the deity is dependent on the psychic power (thapas) of the Thanthri for which he has to observe many rituals, vedic recitals etc regularly and also lead a pious life, apart from acquiring thorough knowledge on Thaanthric rites. Further, a thanthri should be well-conversant with the knowledge of six saasthras (Siikha, Kalpam, Nirutham, Vyaakaranam, Jyothisham and Chhandus) with proper understanding of their use and significance. This is essential as he has to recite vedic-manthras with clarity, cotrect intonation following swaras and other principles. Further he has to observe all:the rituals besides following shodasa-samskaras and shodasopachaaras. (op.cit. footnotes 38 and 39). Moreover an ideal Thanthri must possess certain qualities -As in all Indian criteriology, the thanthras provide lists of standards (lakshana) whereby the aspirant can 'negatively test' his disposition. The criteria are eight and they are called fetters (paasa): hatred, doubt, fear, shame, back biting, arrogance from the notion of belonging to a good family (kula - lit. just family), conformity (seela), arrogance about one's caste Uaathz), bound by these fetters one is a jeeva (an individual, a human being), free from them one is Sadasiva (the God Siva in his highest phenomenal aspect)". Kulan;tava thanthra gives the above dictum as follows. "Grha sanka bhayam lajja jugupsa chethi panchami Kulam seelam thathha jaathkrastu paasaah-prakrithieeyathi Paai;a-baddhah smrotho jeevah, paasa-mukthoh SadaSiva" Very few of the Thanthris in the state possess the above qualities. The role of kaaraarnma Thanthris was also discussed with Brahmasree Vezhapparamb Namboothirippad, who is an accepted authority on the subject. According to him the Thanthri who installs the idol has a say in all the Thaanthric rites in respect of that temple. As per saasthras the hereditary right (kaaraanma right) passes to 'his worthy son' or in his absence to 'a worthy disciple'. It is absolutely essential that such a person should have a thorough knowlege about the rites and sankalpa of the deity of that temple. The 'worthy son' need not be the eldest member of the family. It is also necessary that such a person should have got the moola-manthra of the deity of that temple from the Thanthri who installed the idol and also that he should have got instructions regarding the conduct of poojas etc from him. If the 'worthy son' or the 'worthy disciple' does not get the stipulated instructions and initiation from the Thanthri such a person has no moral right to be the Thanthri of that temple. There may be instances where the Thanthri who has installed the idol, has not passed on the moola-manthra to his son or to his disciple. This creates particular situations which necessarily affect the vitality of the deity. Proper solution to such problems is envisaged in the commentary to sloka 32 of the Soundarya Lahari of Adi Sankaracharya by Lakshmidhara. According to this commentary anyone who is competent, well versed in saasthras and lead a ritualistic life can be ordained as Thanthri and conduct thaanthric rites. This implies that the principal qualification is knowledge in the thaanthric rites and that he should be a pious person. It is pertinent to point out that all male members of a thaanthric family have no right for thanthram. Further, they have also no right to partition the thanthram of temples, which they traditionally enjoy, among members of a family or to have thanthram done by turn by years or months. The hereditary right rests only with 'a worthy fainily member', or 'a worthy disciple' who gets the initial initiation' from the Thanthri who has installed the idol.or from the 'worthy' person who has re-installed an idol. Only in exigencies like ill-health or pollution he can depute a person for the conduct of essential rites. Therefore if in a temple there is no 'worthy' Kaaraarnma Thanthri, as laid down above a new Thanthri can be appointed based on two conditions. (i) a Deva-prasana conducted in front of the deity shows that the existing Thanthri is unsuitable and that he lacks power to increase the vitality of the deity and (ii) the proposed new Thanthri is acceptable to the deity as per Deva-prasna (refer paragraph 5.9). Here it is significant to note that the Daivanja must be an honest person and true to his profession. To ensure this it is imperative that he has to take an oath in front of the deity stating as follows: 'I shall be honest and tell only truth as is revealed in the Deva-pras1ja without any inhibitions or allegiance to anyone and as otherwise me and my family members are prepared to take the wrath of the deity'. It is to be noted that particularly third, tenth and twelfth bhaavas of Deva-pras1}a reveal the capabilities of the Thanthri. Now a relevant question comes, how to get a qualified Thanthri. There is no dearth of qualified Thanthris, as the Thanthra Vidya Peetham, Aluva and similar institutions bring out well-qualified Thanthris every year-after a very strenuous five.year course that includes Thanthra-Saasthra, Vedas, Sanskrit, Silpa-vidya (mainly architecture), deva..prasana etc. It is high time these institutions should take pupils having aptitude from the age-group 10-12 and give them gurukulam type of training for a period of 10 years. Admission to these institutions should not be restricted to any particular caste but the candidates should be subjected to upanayana and observance of all religious rituals and they should be pious and possess exemplary character. Further these students have to be trained from very young age, say 10 years old as the study of Vedas and rituals require personal discipline, patience, correct intonation and pronunciation. It is high time that Thanthris are appointed from among such qualified hands in order to ensure the vitality of the deity. However, the Ooraalars or administrators should ensure that students of these institutions are allowed to take up work only as Assistants to Thanthris and not allowed to act as Thanthris till they successfully complete the studies. However the senior students can assist Thanthris. As Aagamas proclaim Archaksya prabhaven,a silci bhavanthi Sankara ie, the stone idol gets vitality or power of Sankara by the dedicated skill of Archaka. This should be the motto in selecting Thanthris and Saanthikkars.
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