Restore Traditional Archakatvam in Temples: Saivagama Scholars

Hyderabad: Vedic scholars observed that traditional Archakas have a long relationship with their respective deities and they cannot be separated. The national seminar on Shivagama recorded the various Agamas which have clearly ordained that the Archaka and the deity are inseparable. Generations of the Archaka family have been in a spiritual bondage with the deity and moving away the Archakas by transferring them is against the Agamas, they observed.

In a national seminar on Saivagama hosted by the Telangana Aadisaiva Brahmana Archaka Sangham under the auspices of Telangana Endowments Department, the scholars said that transferring Archakas from a temple to other temple is not in tune with the Shastras.

Quoting extensively from various Saiva Agamas, which are 28 in number, scholars from all over South India elaborated the divine rituals from foundation stone laying to Samprokshana or Consecration of the Temple.

The Sri Someshwara Shivagnana Peetham was the main host to this conference which was widely attended by scholars and traditional Archakas from major Shiva temples.

The three-day national seminar on Saivagama from July 28 to 30 is being held at Cheruvugattu in Nalgonda district near the famous Jadala Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple. The seminar passed a resolution requesting the Telangana government to restore traditional priesthood in temples.

The seminar was attended by scholars from all over the country and was critical of the move by the Telangana endowments administration to transfer hereditary Archakas.

Chilkur Balaji Temple Chief Archaka C.S. Rangarajan assured that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was like-minded in this and the Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti ikramarka had promised to implement the Amended Endowments Legislation.

The participants conferred the title Archaka Shiromani on Rangarajan for his contributions to Archakas and temple system as a whole.