Mohit Pandey, a 22-year-old student of Vedic studies at Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya in Ghaziabad city of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the 29 priests selected to perform puja at the Ram temple set to open in Ayodhya in January.
Pandey was selected after a rigorous process that included interviews with approximately 3,000 applicants from across India. He is currently undergoing six months of training before his appointment.
Know about Mohit Pandey
In the 2020-21 academic year, Pandey enrolled in SVVU’s BA (Shastri) program after completing his tenth grade education at Dudheshwar Ved Vidyapeeth, Ghaziabad. He joined Venkateswara Vedic University in Tirupati for his MA (Acharya) degree and is preparing for his PhD.
Pandey’s journey from Ghaziabad to Tirupati and now Ayodhya is a testament to his commitment and rigorous training. His choice also highlights the important role that universities like SVVU play in producing capable people who can serve in spiritual capacities.
“It is a matter of great pride for us that our student has been selected as a priest in the Ayodhya Ram temple. “We trained him here for 10 years,” said Mahant Narayan Giri, chief priest of Dudheshwar Nath temple and chief patron of Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya.
He further said, “It is not an easy test to pass. But his command of Sanskrit and pronunciation of words to worship God must have stood him in good stead. He was trained in all this.”
Ram temple construction
The construction work of Ram temple in Ayodhya is going on and the construction of the sanctum sanctorum is expected to be completed by the end of December. The consecration ceremony, or ‘Pran Pratishtha’, will be held on January 22 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
There were 20 vacancies for priests in Ram temple and more than three thousand candidates had applied. After being shortlisted, 200 priests will have to undergo rigorous training for six months and take an examination before being finally selected.
The 20 priests who will be selected will have to fulfill specific responsibilities and conditions. More than 6,000 invitation cards have been sent to invitees from across the country for the grand consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla.