Ram Mandir Trust launches priest certification drive
The Ram Temple Trust’s decision to establish a permanent institute for training and certifying Hindu priests is being seen by religious leaders and members of the Indian diaspora as a significant step towards addressing the growing demand for qualified ‘archaks‘ (priests) not only in India but also overseas. The proposal on July 22, following a meeting of the Trust in Ayodhya, envisages a dedicated training centre, where priests will receive formal instruction in the performance of Hindu rituals before being certified by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The announcement was made by Trust interim general secretary Krishna Mohan and treasurer Govind Dev Giri.
The decision came alongside the Trust’s announcement of a nine-member committee of prominent seers to oversee the religious affairs of the Ram Temple, following recent controversy surrounding alleged donation theft. Religious leaders say the proposed institute could help standardise priestly training at a time when temples, religious institutions, and Hindu families increasingly seek priests well-versed in scriptural traditions and ritual practices.
Ram Ballabh Kunj functionary Mahant Rajkumar Das told PTI that the proposed centre would become a permanent platform for both training and dialogue. “Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj has said that the training centre and a centre for continuous dialogue will function on a sustained basis. There is a need for systematically trained archaks in temples, monasteries and major religious institutions across the country, whether dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, Lord Ram or Lord Krishna,” he said.
“If such a training centre is established under the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, it will go a long way in fulfilling this requirement. The effort will be to ensure that competent priests and acharyas reach every part of the country,” he added.
The Trust’s initiative also reflects a broader trend in higher education, with academic institutions introducing structured courses in Hindu rituals and priestly practices. Shri Ram Janaki Sanskrit Mahavidyalay, established in 1929 at Gauriyapur village in Kanpur Dehat, has trained thousands of religious scholars in nearly a century now and has around 500 students undergoing training in Sanskrit and traditional Sanatan rituals and worship practices.
Describing the Ram Temple Trust’s decision to establish a priest training institute as “a commendable initiative”, Das said such an institution would help produce better-trained priests to meet future requirements and propagate Sanatan Dharma. Banaras Hindu University, through its Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnan, offers a one-year diploma course in Karmakand besides programmes in Sanskrit and astrology.
Lucknow University had also announced in 2021 a vocational course in Karmakand through its Department of Prachya Sanskrit as part of its four-year undergraduate programme. The course was designed to impart scriptural knowledge on the performance of Hindu rites and rituals, including Sandhyopasan Vidhi, Tarpan and Balvishwadev Vidhi, while opening formal training in priestly practices to a wider section of students beyond traditional hereditary lineages.
Trust officials had said the proposed Ayodhya institute would seek to create a steady pool of trained and certified priests capable of serving temples and devotees in India and abroad, reinforcing the temple town’s emerging role as a centre for religious learning alongside pilgrimage.
[with PTI inputs]
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