Varanasi to get English-speaking priests next year

Lucknow: Non-Hindi speaking devotees and tourists will no longer have to depend on local interpreters to interact with priests in Varanasi now.

The first batch of 13 English speaking priests will be out next year.

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kendra (DDUKK) in the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University is all set to present its first batch of English-speaking priests. This has been done under the skill development programme of the central government.

According to official sources pundits, who practice “karmkand” (rituals), and astrologers have been linked to the programme.

According to DDUKK director Prof Sudhakar Misra, “The three-year B.Voc  (Bachelor of Vocational  Education) programme will make the students proficient in English and Sanskrit , besides imparting them knowledge of astrology and religious rituals”. The course comprises six semesters.

He said that there are a number of pilgrims who come from a non-Hindi speaking background and wants various rituals performed in Varanasi which is one of the holiest cities. Such people are forced to take the services of local interpreters but still cannot understand the intricacies of various rituals. If the priest can speak English, he will be able to explain everything in detail to the devotee.

According to sources, an increasing number of tourists from countries like the USA, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka are coming to Varanasi to perform rituals, especially those related to death and the demand for priests conversant with foreign languages is bound to grow in the coming years.

Acharya Sudhir Dwiwedi, a priest at Dashashwamedh Ghat said, “A number of young priests have even picked up words from German, Japanese and even Russian.