MUMBAI, INDIA, July 2011 (Ibnlive): The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti (BSGSS), a city-wide umbrella organisation of mandals, will train the youth of the city (13 years and above) to conduct Ganesha pujas. The committee’s move is likely to meet the scarcity of the holy men, a major problem that besets the body every year during Ganesh Chaturthi, which starts from September 1 this year.
There are around 12,000 Ganesh mandals and 180,000 household Ganpatis in Mumbai but the number of priests in the city is just 4,000, not even half the number of the mandals. The BSGSS’s decision entails instructing Sanskrit students to be qualified priests.
Elderly priests will take them under their wing as proteges and initiate them into the priestly club by imparting them the knowledge of the Atharva Sheersha a collection of ancient verses, an Upanishad in its own right, contained in the Atharva Veda which is quintessential to revere the deity. Those who successfully attain the knowledge will be honored with the priest’s title.
The study of the ancient text would empower the aspirants to conduct the traditional Ganpati puja on the first day of the festival. “The formal training for the students will start after July 15 and would go on for a month and a half so that new priests are available for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi,” said Naresh Dahibavkar, president, BSGSS.
Tukaram Raut, treasurer of BSGSS, said, “We would train only those children who are really interested in learning the rituals, be it a girl or boy. We hope to add 500-700 more priests to the 4,000-strong list of priests by training the youth. We would also extend help to priests who come to the city every year just for a day.”