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Shortlisted priests to undergo six months training in Ayodhya from today
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra will start training of 20 candidates who have been shortlisted for the post of archaks (priests) of Ram Lalla from Wednesday
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra will start training of 20 candidates who have been shortlisted for the post of archaks (priests) of Ram Lalla from Wednesday.
The six-month-long training will be imparted at the newly constructed office of the Trust in Ayodhya.
The final selection of candidates for the post of archak will be after the training.
“Candidates who will complete the six-month-long training successfully will be selected for the post of archak (priest),” said a member of the Trust.
“During the training period, Trust will pay a stipend of ₹2000 per month to all the candidates and will also make fooding and lodging arrangements for them in Ayodhya,” he added.
According to the Trust, teachers having expertise in various subjects and theology of Hinduism will impart training.
The Trust has already made it clear that Ram Lalla’s puja will be performed according to the Ramanandi Sampradaya whose first acharya was Lord Ram.
Last month the Trust had selected 200 candidates for interview out of 3000 applicants for the post of archaks (priests) for Ram Lalla.
According to the Trust, 200 candidates went through an interview process at Karsevak Puram in Ayodhya.
A three-member panel of Jaykant Mishra, a preacher from Vrindavan, and two mahants, Mithilesh Nandini Sharan and Satyanarayan Das, from Ayodhya conducted the interviews.
“Candidates who will successfully complete the training will be appointed as priests and deployed on different posts after six months of residential training,” said Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of the Trust.
Last month, the Trust had issued notification on its official website for appointment of archaks (priests) for Ram Lalla.
The Trust has also decided to constitute Shri Ram Sewa Vidhi Vidhan Samiti to look after affairs related to the Ram Lalla consecration ceremony and all religious events in future related to the deity.
According to Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, the Samiti will prepare the religious text according to which daily rituals of Ram Lalla will be performed.
Acharya Satyendra Das, head priest of Ram Lalla, and his four junior priests perform daily rituals of the deity.
The newly appointed priests will be in addition to them.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22 when the deity will be enthroned at the temple’s sanctum-sanctorum.
