3000 apply for priest posts at Ram temple, 20 positions to be filled

Around 3000 applied for the post of priest in the Ram temple in Ayodhya after the vacancies were advertised by Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra officially on Monday. Out of the 3000, 200 will be selected for the interview rounds on the basis of merit, a trust official said.

The selected 200 candidates will face interviews, which will take place at Karsevak Puram, the Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) headquarters in Ayodhya.

Eventually, a total of 20 candidates will be selected. The three-member penal who will select these candidates comprise a Hindu preacher from Vrindavan, Jaykant Mishra, and the other two are mahants from Ayodhya, i.e., Satyanarayan Das and Nandini Sharan.

The selected candidates will be appointed as priests and will also be deployed in different posts after six months of residential training. Those who are not selected will attend the training and will also receive certificates, and trust treasurer, Govind Dev Giri told PTI.

However, they will also get the chance to be called for the priest post created in the future.

The training will take place on the religious syllabus prepared by top seers. During the time of training, candidates will get free lodging and food facilities and will also receive Rs 2000 as a stipend.

When asked about the types of questions to be asked in the interview, Giri said, "What is 'Sandhya Vandan ', what are its procedures and what are the 'mantras' for this worship? What are the 'mantras' for worshipping Lord Ram and what are 'karma kand' for this?"

The Ram Mandir is a Hindu temple, which is under construction in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Ram Temple which will take place on November 24, 2024. The construction of Ram Temple after the groundbreaking ceremony and laying the foundation stone on August 5, 2020. The temple is being constructed by Larsen & Toubro group with an estimated cost of Rs 18,000 crore.