Diploma in Punditry

Bharathidasan University in Thiruchirappally is launching a diploma course in temple priesthood.

Once upon a time, Tamil Nadu universities grounded students in atheism, one of the key ideological positions of the Dravidian movement. Now, there has been a 360-degree turn. Bharathidasan University in Thiruchirappally is launching a diploma course in temple priesthood from the next academic year. Only Hindus who have passed the final exam of school can join the one-year course. But all castes are welcome. According to vice-chancellor Ponna Vaiko, a group of experts in agama shastra and archana vidya will decide the syllabus in consultation with Hindu Temple Welfare Department officials. There will even be placements in the over 36,000 temples under the state government’s control. There is also a demand for priests in countries like Mauritius which have a sizeable population of Hindus. But the success of the course is undecided. A similar certificate course failed to find takers due to opposition from Brahmin priests.

About The Author

KA Shaji