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Dalits to be trained as priests at Tirupati

Setting an exemplary tradition, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, an autonomous board managing the affairs of India's richest shrine at Tirumala, has drawn up a plan to train Dalits and other backward communities in temple rituals and practices.
"It is going to be a three-month certificate course being introduced as a pilot project. About 200 people from dalit and backward communities will be trained in Vedic rituals," Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao announced.
Tirumala, the abode of Hindu deity Venkateswara, is nestled among a string of seven hills in Chittoor district and attracts an average of 50,000 pilgrims every day from all over the country and abroad and the number crosses the 100,000 mark on special occasions and festivals.
Initially, the trainee priests will be selected from Chittoor and West Godavari districts. This is the first time that the TTD is introducing a certificate course in temple rituals for non-Brahmins.
"We will focus on people living in remote and back ward areas. The endowments department, in association with the TTD, will also build temples in far-flung villages. Once the training session is over, these youths will be handed over the task of daily rituals in those proposed temples," the minister said.
The youth will be trained in 'Smartha' traditions. Smartha deals with all types of common rituals in a family including fixing muhurthams for weddings.
The TTD had earlier launched another novel initiative called "Dalita Govindam" under which the temple priests would carry "procession deities" to the doorsteps of Dalit families. The initiative was a big success. The Dalit youth were also trained in offering `prasadam' and a couple of other rituals. - news@khaleejtimes.com

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