MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

RELIGIOUS PROFESSION

In the olden days of Brahmanical ascendancy, the priests ruled the affairs of every community more despotically than the mightiest prince. The priests controlled every conceivable concern of the household. Religion had been a full-time occupation and the main source of income for many persons in all the districts in the past. This district was no exception to it. The priest used to conduct the daily worship of all the deities for his patron and as such the class enjoyed a high status in the society.

But as a result of scientific education, empiricism and logical reasoning now-a-days, the various beliefs have disappeared and the people have become more skeptic and disbelievers in religious superstitions. But the priest still holds his position in a large number of villages among the rural folk though his position in towns is not so secure as it was in the past. According to 1951 Census, 649 persons (among them 600 were men and 49 were women) were engaged in the ' Religious, charitable and welfare services'. The figure included priests, ministers, monks, sadhus, religious mendicants and other religious workers. According to 1961 Census, total number of persons engaged in this occupation was 1,111 (men 1,054, women 57). The number comprised religious and allied services rendered by pandit, priest, preceptor, fakir, monk and is classified as follows:-

TOP