Mumbai: If the dearth of pandits to administer holy rites performed during Ganesh Chaturthi is impeding your worship of the Lord, then fret no more.
The Lord has come to your rescue in the form of youthful, freshly-anointed priests who'd do the puja for you the kosher way.
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 puja.
There are around 12,000 Ganesh mandals and 1,80,000 household Ganpatis in Mumbai, but the number of priests in the city is just 4,000, not even half the number of the mandals.
Elderly priests will take them under their wing as protégés 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.
Suhas Surve, one of the trainers of BSGSS, said, "The BSGSS wanted me to teach the students Atharva Sheersha, crucial to Ganesha puja, and certain other rituals for worshipping the Lord. The text is not easy to learn. Only those versed in Sanskrit can grasp this knowledge."
The study of the ancient text would empower the aspirants to conduct the traditional Ganpati puja on the first day of the festival.
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.
A 14-year-old aspiring priestess, Neha Wavale, said, "I was always keen on learning Atharva Sheersha. I have been studying Sanskrit for two years.
"With the training, I will have an opportunity to perform Lord Ganesha's puja in a proper traditional manner during the Chaturthi, the only reason I want to learn the rituals."
Shivram Gaonkar (14), another aspirant to the holy title, said, "I have been learning Sanskrit for a year. When I was asked if I wanted to receive training to perform the Chaturthi puja, I immediately said yes."
With the extant crunch of the men of God in the city, residents usually opt for recorded aartis to fill in for the priests.
Mira Road resident, Aarti Mahajan (43), has been performing pujas without pandits for the past three years.
"We noticed that pandits rush through the rites in about 15 minutes, when proper worshipping takes an hour.
They charge undue amounts of money. So now we play pre-recorded versions of the mantras and perform the puja ourselves," she said.
4,000
Number of priests in the city
12,000
Number of Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals in Mumbai
1.80 lakh
No of household Ganpatis in the city
The Lord has come to your rescue in the form of youthful, freshly-anointed priests who'd do the puja for you the kosher way.
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 puja.
There are around 12,000 Ganesh mandals and 1,80,000 household Ganpatis in Mumbai, but the number of priests in the city is just 4,000, not even half the number of the mandals.
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Elderly priests will take them under their wing as protégés 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.
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Suhas Surve, one of the trainers of BSGSS, said, "The BSGSS wanted me to teach the students Atharva Sheersha, crucial to Ganesha puja, and certain other rituals for worshipping the Lord. The text is not easy to learn. Only those versed in Sanskrit can grasp this knowledge."
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The study of the ancient text would empower the aspirants to conduct the traditional Ganpati puja on the first day of the festival.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
A 14-year-old aspiring priestess, Neha Wavale, said, "I was always keen on learning Atharva Sheersha. I have been studying Sanskrit for two years.
"With the training, I will have an opportunity to perform Lord Ganesha's puja in a proper traditional manner during the Chaturthi, the only reason I want to learn the rituals."
Shivram Gaonkar (14), another aspirant to the holy title, said, "I have been learning Sanskrit for a year. When I was asked if I wanted to receive training to perform the Chaturthi puja, I immediately said yes."
With the extant crunch of the men of God in the city, residents usually opt for recorded aartis to fill in for the priests.
Mira Road resident, Aarti Mahajan (43), has been performing pujas without pandits for the past three years.
"We noticed that pandits rush through the rites in about 15 minutes, when proper worshipping takes an hour.
They charge undue amounts of money. So now we play pre-recorded versions of the mantras and perform the puja ourselves," she said.
4,000
Number of priests in the city
12,000
Number of Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals in Mumbai
1.80 lakh
No of household Ganpatis in the city
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