In efforts to upgrade and sharpen the skills of its priests, the Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on Wednesday started an 11-day refresher course on Wednesday at the temple in Katra.
The course was formally inaugurated by Murli Manohar, vice chancellor of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University in the presence of Umesh Sharma, sub-divisional magistrate Bhawan, head pujari and other dignitaries on the occasion.
The training will be imparted on ritualistic skills by experts from well renowned institutions of Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi, Kashi in Varanasi in collaboration with Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan in Basohli.
The refresher course will be imparted to 31 priests in two batches with focus on specific rituals, mantras and practices that a priest needs to master besides, highly specific and professional approach about their ‘pujan vidhi’.
The main training contents include ‘karam kaand’, ‘upasna kaand’, ‘gyan kaand, ‘suktas’, ‘stotras’ and ‘sandhya vandan’.