Breaking Brahmin monopoly: Hindu temple to have women, lower-caste priests

A former cabinet minister in Maharashtra, Dange said that the apex court's verdict has already brought about a seachange in the past few months in the earnings of the temple, situated around 350 km southeast of Mumbai.

"Earlier, the two families used to auction the daily pujas for the two presiding deities starting at Rs.7,000 ($117) for Rukmini and Rs.20,000 for Lord Vitthoba. They kept the daily earnings which were around Rs.150,000 and grew manifold on special occasions and festivals. Now, all the money is coming to the VRTT. This year, the temple income will be more than five crore rupees," Dange said.

The VRTT has been flooded with applications and many are ready to work free as they consider it a "divine service", Dange said with a smile. The excited applicants are said to hail from OBCs, Marathas, the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and other castes.

The temple hosts the idol of Lord Vitthoba, a local version of Lord Krishna, and his consort Rukmini, and is revered by the 150,000-strong population of the town.

It has a unique scripture on its walls dating to 1195 on which the devotees would rub their backs to free themselves from the cycles of re-birth.

Attracting around 30,000 devotees from Maharashtra and other parts of India every day, the temple atmosphere is festive during four annual pilgrimages when around nearly two million devotees daily throng there.