Ayodhya: The entire country is eagerly waiting for the grand opening of the much-awaited Ram Temple in Ayodhya and as the construction work nears completion, the selection of priests is also underway. As many as 3,000 candidates have applied for the post of priests for the upcoming temple.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had advertised the vacancies and so far 200 candidates have been shortlisted based on merit. These candidates will now appear for interviews at Karsevakpuram in the temple town.
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A three-member interview panel has been constituted to undertake the entire process. The panel comprises Hindu preacher from Vrindavan, Jaykant Mishra, and two Mahants from Ayodhya – Mithilesh Nandini Sharan and Satyanarayan Das.
Eventually, 20 candidates will be selected for the job. They will be appointed as priests at different posts in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex after six months of residential training.
The candidates who do not get selected but were shortlisted will be given certificates after the training and will have a chance to be called for the post of priests to be created in the future, TOI quoted Govind Dev Giri, treasurer of the Ram Mandir Trust.
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Tough Questions, 6-Month Training
Tough questions are asked about the procedure of different pujas during the interview. Some of these included ‘Sandhya Vandan’, its procedures and mantras, special mantras and ‘karma kand’ regarding the worship of Lord Ram, etc.
The selected 20 candidates will go through six months of training to be held at Karsevakpuram that has offices of several Hindu organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The training will be based on the religious syllabus prepared by the top seers. During the training, the candidates will be provided free food and lodging facility. They will also be given Rs 2,000 each as the monthly stipend.
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When Will Ram Temple Open?
The construction of the grand Ram Temple is currently underway and the ground floor of the three-storey temple is expected to be completed by December-end. The consecration ceremony is expected to take place on January 22, temple Construction Committee Chairperson Nripendra Mishra had said.
In an interview to PTI, he also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part in an event related to the ‘pran pratishtha’ on any day during January 20-24.
The construction work began after the Supreme Court in a 2019 verdict had paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya. The court had ruled that the 2.77 acres of the disputed land where the demolished 16th century-era Babri Masjid once stood will remain with a Central government receiver and be handed over to the trust within three months of the ruling for the construction of the temple.
