ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on an interview with Dr. Aaryaa Ashutosh Joshi, a Hindu priestess and Hindu priesthood instructor at Jñāna Prabodhinī, Pune, Southern India. Since 1990, the institution Jñāna Prabodhinī has been teaching priesthood to women and has initiated a thread ceremony for girls that was traditionally meant only for boys. Whereas Hindu communities in India were initially reluctant to accept female priestesses, Joshi argues that attitudes have changed as more individuals have witnessed the devotion of female priestesses. In some regions of India, there has been a surge in the acceptance of female priesthood; others continue to have a conservative viewpoint and do not accept female priestesses. Joshi says that social media has contributed to the support of female priesthood, and she predicts a gradual and peaceful movement towards accepting women as priests. Joshi underlines the importance of respecting traditional beliefs while acknowledging the need for a substantial change in Hindu religious perspectives to achieve this societal transition.
