Udhayanidhi Stalin gifts smartphones, cash prize to three TN women priests

CHENNAI: State Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday gifted a smartphone along with a cash prize of Rs 25,000 to each of the three newly appointed women archakars (priests).

The three women are among the 94 students of the second batch of the Government Archakars Training Centre. They received the course completion certificate from Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P K Sekarbabu a few days ago.

“We met the Youth Welfare Minister. He gave us phones and appreciated us,” said S Ramya, a native of Salem, one of the three women priests.

They came for a round of applause from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to various leaders for breaking the hegemony over the priesthood and entering into the sanctum sanctorum of the temples to perform poojas.

They would be enrolled as trainees for a period of one year with a monthly stipend of Rs 8,000 to put their learning into practice under the guidance of senior priests in major temples in the State.