Women Priests Lead the Way: 4 Famous Indian Temples Breaking Tradition

• Traditionally, priestly duties in India are performed by men, but four temples are challenging this norm by appointing women as priests.
• Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple, Pandharpur: Following a 2014 Supreme Court ruling, women and non-Brahmins can serve as priests after government-conducted examinations.
• Linga Bhairavi Temple, Coimbatore: Founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, this temple exclusively features women priests (Bhairaginis) who perform all rituals, even during menstruation.
• Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Kshetra, Mangaluru: Appointed Dalit widows as priests in 2014, upholding Sri Narayana Guru's principle of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'.
• Yogeshwara Srikrishna Temple, Pithoragarh: Women serve as chief and assistant priests, receiving special training to prove that 'devotion has no gender'.

Why It Matters: These four Indian temples are pioneering gender equality by empowering women to serve as priests.