Refresher course for priests begins at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine

STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: An 11-day refresher course for priests commenced at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said experts from well-renowned institutions of Central Sanskrit University in Delhi and Varanasi in collaboration with Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan, Basohli, Kathua will impart ritualistic skill training to the participants.
As part of the course, 31 priests will be trained in two batches with a focus on specific rituals, mantras and practices that a pujari needs to master, it said.
The training is part of the board’s pursuit to upgrade and sharpen priests’ knowledge of religious practices and rituals, it added.
The course was inaugurated by Murli Manohar, Vice Chancellor of Delhi-based Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit University, in the presence of Bhawan Sub-Divisional Magistrate Umesh Sharma and the shrine’s head priest.
SMVDSB CEO Anshul Garg said such refresher courses foster a culture of continuous learning and will be helpful in enhancing the skills of priests and their intellectual development