North Indian priests also for Kerala temples.

On 29 October 2016 at 11:29, P Ramanathan <suprashanth2@gmail.com> wrote:

Malayala Manorama : Saturday, October 29, 2016.

North Indian priests (pUjAri) also for Kerala temples.

     Priest (pUjAri पूजारि, purOhitan  पुरोहितन ) Misra climbing down the steps of the Sri Kurumba Bhagavati कुरुम्ब भगवति temple in Kannanoor, Puthukkote पुतुककोट, Palakkat, पालक्काट Kerala(m) केरळम with ' prasadam ' प्रसादं. 

Kuzhalmannam (Palakkat) : Temple priests also from another region hereafter. 

     Sooraj Misra (21), a native of Allahabad in UP, who took charge two weeks ago as the priest (poojari) in Puthukkote Sri Kurumba Bhagavathi temple is one of them.

     The temple committee began searching for a new priest after the previous one left when it was learnt that there is a north Indian priest at the Kaavasseri कावश्शेरि Sivakshetram. And Sooraj Misra, a relative of that priest, was brought.

     When the salary of a Malayali priest is from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000, these priests get an average of Rs.9,000. 

     Devotees call these priests 'swamy' स्वामि instead of 'tirumeni' तिरुमेनि.

     Sooraj Misra has begun to speak Malayalam.