Paper short abstract:

Only trained Bardeuris (Brahmans who have hereditary rights over the Kāmākhyā Temple) can worship the Goddess Kāmākhyā; for those who are not trained, arrangements are put in place to ensure the worship. This paper examines the controversial opinions of the Bardeuris around these arrangements.

Paper long abstract:

The Brahmans having hereditary rights over the Kāmākhyā Temple call themselves Bardeuri (The Great Priests). In order to perform the daily pūjā for the Goddess, a Bardeuri needs to be initiated and instructed by his seniors; this process is usually described by the adjective kaṭhin (hard, difficult). At the end of the training period, each Bardeuri will be recognized as a pujārī and will be allowed to perform the daily rituals. The Bardeuris who undergo the demanding pujārī-training are often pushed by their families. However, today, only few Bardeuris are pujārīs. When their turn comes, the Bardeuris who are not pujārīs delegate the performance of the daily rituals to an eligible fellow-Bardeuri. This does not affect their hereditary rights. Nevertheless, a sense of inadequacy emerged when I interviewed a Bardeuri who delegated the worship. A gap exists between what people do and what people think they should do; this paper focuses precisely on this gap.

Their exclusive rights make Bardeuris the unique guardians of the worship to be rendered to the Goddess (and entail significant social and economical privileges). In this paper I argue that even if it is accepted that a Bardeuri may avoid what is considered to be his community responsibility, it is not possible to ignore such responsibility. Despite the contradictions that have been described, worshipping the Goddess is considered by Bardeuris the raison d'être of their community.