500 trained Dalits to be made priests at temples in colonies

Tirupati: The temples in the weaker section colonies - Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes and Backward classes like fishermen in coastal areas -- would soon get the much needed fillip with the completion of training of 500 persons from these communities in performing basic temple rituals.

1. As many as 420 persons from SC, ST and other communities have already been trained in conducting temple rituals
2. Training for others will be completed by June this year
3. TTD also provides idols and other material to conduct festivities at the temples in weaker section colonies

The training programme of the 500 SC, ST and BC candidates selected by the local committees, was taken up by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in association with Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDPT) of Endowment Department and a Vijayawada based NGO Samarasyatha Seva Foundation (SSF) in May last year and will come to an end in June this year. So far 420 persons were trained while the training of the remaining would be completed by June. These trained persons will be deployed as priests in the temples in the colonies.

A glance at the training class which is underway in SVETA (Sri Venkateswara Employees Training Academy) here on Thursday leave any one in surprise with the candidates belonging to SC and ST communities performing the newly learned rituals with devotion. They, with clean shaven heads, attired in the traditional dhoti and wearing Tirunamam and Vibhuti chanting mantras prove beyond doubt that they are second to none in performing the rituals.

TTD Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad (HDPP) secretary Ramakrishna Reddy said that intense residential mode training for 15 days was given to them besides conduct of rituals along with chanting of mantras. They will be given a refresher course for 10 days again after six months and five day orientation programme before completion of one year training. A set of utensils for performing rituals, a book containing the description of the rituals and performance written in a simple manner will be provided to them. It will guide them in temple rituals, he explained.

A young trainee Anji from Peddamandyam in Chittoor district and elderly person Dharmaiah from Rowthupuram, Srikakulam district said first they were surprised at the mantras but after four days were in ease in chanting them. The faculty well versed in temple rituals includes Subba Rao his wife Annapurnamma, Gopichand Swamy and Kalyan stay with the trainees to add more information about temples, traditions, customs, rituals etc.

TTD as part of its massive programme for promotion and propagation of Sanathana Hindu Dharma lent financial support for the construction of 500 temples in the weaker section colonies in the state, at a cost of Rs 5 lakh each. The Amount was transferred to HDPT of Endowment Department. TTD All Project Coordinator N Mukteswar Rao, who has been overseeing the training programme said, the TTD had taken the responsibility of providing trained persons for performing the rituals in the 500 shrines. It also provides the idols, mike sets, umbrellas required for conducting processions to see that the places of worship in these colonies become vibrant temples.

BY G Sridhar