Priestess conducts final rituals of woman

JAMSHEDPUR: Breaking t he custom of male priests performing the final rituals of a deceased, a priestess from social organisation Ananda Marga conducted the funeral rites at Subarnarekha Ghat on Monday.

The family of Dhanvanti Devi, 78, who died on Sunday, gave the nod to Avdhutika Anand Lokatita Acharya at the crematorium. It was in accordance to the wishes of Devi herself.

At the ghat, the priestess completed the custom at the crematorium without any hiccup. Onlookers said she chanted few lines of the song ‘Dharmo Amar Sathi - Dharmo Amar Pran’, which was repeated by the bereaved family members.

Local residents, including women, were present when the body was consigned to flames. The rituals will be completed at the Mahni complex club house, Kadma, on April 16.

“Both men and women are children of God. Both are equal in the eyes of the Almighty... Women, practicing the philosophy of Ananda Marg, are authorised to perform marriage, death and other rituals. We are not trying to go against the traditional custom, but we wish to give the message of women empowerment in all the fields through such acts,” she said.

When contacted, an Anandi Margi said the idea is to spread the message of equality to women.

“Through such acts, we are trying to spread the message that women should be given equal right in perfor ming spiritual and religious acts at all places. They had been getting such right in several centuries ago but they are now being kept aside from various spiritual and religious rituals,” Public Relation Officer (PRO) of Ananda Marga, Sunil Anand