Mangalore : Recently appointed women priests are missing from Sri Gokarnanatha temple from soon after Dasara festival, that has been informed a devotee of the temple to our media.

However, according to the temple sources, Ms. Indira, 45, has passed SSLC and was rolling beedis earlier. Ms. Lakshmi, 67 was Working at home,

On October 6th two widows performed puja to the presiding deity of Gokarnanatheswara also offered puja to goddess Annapurneshwari and gave away ‘tirtha’ and ‘prasada’ to devotees.

Monday October 28 Janardhan Poojary make clear that the two widow priests are not missing they had asked leave for ten days and they are on duty from last week.

He said this to media persons at temple auditorium on Monday, Priests do not have restrictions and they can come and go anytime how they wish. They can make puja in others temples also. We have no restrictions to do this and we will never do in future also Poojary said. 

Replying to the Prasadam refusal by the devotees, he said women or men priests not performing their duties by rite no need mediator with god and devotees.

It is not endorsed by some of the temple committee members, It is true, but what work I have done for a good change it is satisfied and world appreciated, he said.

We followed principles of Narayana Guru and priests have full freedom to perform Puja. Whoever wants to come is welcome, and we will give the training, poojary said

He said chief minister Siddaramaiah to appoint women, especially widows, to offer puja in all the 36,000 temples across the state.

H S Sairam, Harikrishna Bantwal, Padmaraj and others were present.