In Ram temple premise the temples of Bhagwan Valmiki, Mata Shabri, Nishadraj, Jatayu are also proposed to come up. In the rituals guided by the scriptures ingrained for the construction process the priests hailing from different castes are given equal place. Today there are several Vedic institutions where the aspirants of all castes get the training of ecclesiastic rituals.
VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) has trained over 5000 such priests belonging to SC-ST categories, over 2000 of them being hailed from Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh alone. Along with performing prescribed religious rituals required for different occasions, they also contribute in putting curb on conversion in their localities, which otherwise infested with so-called churchmen.
In this field one of the most pioneering of the works was done by Shankracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamkoti shrine by the initiative of RSS pracharak, Madhawan. Jayendra Saraswati for the first time made the provision in Guruvayur of imparting the training of priesthood to 29 people belonging particularly to the so-called lower castes. At the end of the training, they were given the certificates with the seal recognized by the shrine before the council of dignitaries of different hues. Now such kind of works are being frequently done through Dharam Raksha Nyas on different places all over the country in big ways.
In 2022 on the occasion of ‘ Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham’ (1000th birth celebration year) the 216 ft high ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad was unveiled by Narendra Modi in the divine memory of Shri Ramanujacharya. Though remembered more for the great work he did in realm of spirituality, in the field of social- equality the initiatives he took were no less notable.
Born to a Brahmin family, Ramanuja was kind to all – the poor, rich and all the castes. Going far ahead, he made mandatory to sing in the temple the devotional-songs created by low-caste Tamil saints. He had the gates of famous Tirunarayan Perumaal Vaishnav temple opened to give entrance to all irrespective of one’s caste. It was because of divine influence of Ramanuja, Gollas, backward community of South India, were granted the right of first darshan of Shri Balaji.
Likewise, regarding the entry into Minakshipuram temple once there prevailed a persistent tussle born of castes and sects’ consideration. Like Ramanuja, the guru of Yogi Aditya Nath, Mahant Awaidhnath of VHP, one day came to firm decision to resolve the issue. And he came to sit before temple observing protest against the practice weakening Hindu community. He left not the place until temple authority surrendered to open the gate for all.
