Allow all faithfuls

"A successful priest earns anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 35,000 per month and many pay taxes too. The upswing in demand for services is not just among the Brahmins, but other communities too which has given a new lease of life to priesthood,” notes an article "New age priests” (Business India, January 29, 2006).

With many people into "appeasement of gods and malefic planetary outcomes” priests are thriving on the prescriptions of astrology and the perceived need to observe the traditional rituals. The trickle down or ripple effect of rituals is felt from clay lamps to flower, fruit and coconut vendors, caterers and shops that stock daan or gift items. "When families practise rituals, the economy thrives,” pointed out L. Muneeswaran of Madras who caters to the religious needs of nearly 400 families and has now trained his two daughters to perform any rite of passage or ritual under his guidance. The magazine quotes him, "I ask the girls to officiate only when the family is comfortable with this.” This avant-garde break with tradition and such other reforms within the clergy is seen as practical by priests who realize that the modern day fast paced career oriented life makes it hard on patrons and priests to observe all rituals.

Hindu priests in demand

Websites like subhakariam.com offer patrons all information on daily rituals and additionally "have a customized reminder service; e.g. a busy information technology professional traveling abroad needs to be reminded about the shradh dates for his departed parents. We provide audio discs with the mantrams and he performs it wherever he is…Such rituals enhance (the) patrons’ peace and well being.”

That the Hindu priests are willing to adapt to the changing demands came to light in Bombay too. Within two days of the Mumbai Mirror carrying a front page report on the Sri Venkatesh Temple barring entry to Don Elrod, the American husband of Asha Nadipuram, on the grounds that foreigners are not permitted within the temple portals, a clarification was issued by the managing trustee Vijay Somani stating, "We will allow all people who have faith in the Hindu religion to worship at the temple...We are forward looking and I think we should not continue with the old rule (Mumbai Mirror, February 2, 2006).” The archaic rule forbidding entry of foreigners was reportedly a part of the temple constitution formulated by Kanchipuram Swami Anathachari who inaugurated it in 1927.