Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Meet India's lower-caste Hindu priest
Approximately four in five people practice Hinduism in India.
The caste system in India has its origins in ancient India and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India. The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories and they are further divided into about 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes, each based on their specific occupation. A Brahmin is a member of the highest caste in Hinduism. Although India’s constitution prohibits discrimination by caste, the Brahmins are the caste from which Hindu priests are drawn. Although India’s constitution prohibits discrimination, it was in only 2006 when the government allowed priests from any caste. Since then, over 200 students from lower castes have completed the training course to be a priest, but only one has been appointed a priest so far because of the strong resistance from Brahmins and conservatism groups. Marichamy is the man who became the first Hindu priest from a lower caste. He performs prayers and rituals for worshippers just like any other priest does. He is grateful to have become a priest but doubtful about the chance of others being appointed. As also covered in Topic Reading-Vol.3533-12/13/2021, India’s constitution doesn’t seem to have broken the social and religious barriers of the caste system.
Enjoy watching the video and learning about how difficult to live and work beyond the caste in India.
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