Kagganapalli Radha Devi

KAGGANAPALLI RADHA DEVI

Instrumental in breaking traditional notions of gender and employing many female barbers in Tirupati temple to tonsure the hair of women devotees.

Ms. K. Radha Devi has been actively working towards the cause of women empowerment and promoting gender equality by providing an enabling environment for women to work in field which is largely considered as o male domain. Radha devi is the President of the Andhra pradesh State Women Barbers and the Founder and President at the Tirurnala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) Women Barbers The historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara attracts pilgrims from across the world. Each day, countless devotees shave their hair and offer it to the deity.

This has for long been a tradition at the temple. However for a long time there has been a demand for femaIe barbers to tonsure hair of women devotees. It was Radha’s resilience, perseverance and continuous efforts that the ‘I'I'D, for the first time in the history of the temple, agreed to appoint women barbers to work in the Kalyanakatta (tonusiring centre) of the Tirumala temple. Prior to this, In the wake ct opposition to the appointment of women barbers in the temple by the Agama Pundits, their appointment had been stopped by TTD. She has been instrumental in gainfully employing many women as barbers in the temple, who belong to the Nayee Bramhaan caste (the barber community) which is a largely poor community.

She has also been training other women to enable them to become successful and financially independent. She has challenged the traditional notions of gender and has inspired a number of women belonging to that region‘ She has also been conferred with the Sramo Shakthi Puraskur by the AP, Government in 2017 and the Visista Mahila Puraskur Award in 2017 for her contributions.

This article "Kagganapalli Radha Devi" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Kagganapalli Radha Devi. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

This page exists already on Wikipedia.