Oyeeshi Ghosh,
Address not given

All priests are devotees of god. The rituals performed by them are expressions of their love, trust and dependence on the Almighty. But in a society where people are victims of blind superstition and dogma, educated priests are the need of the hour. Unfortunately, being born as a Brahmin is the prime qualification of some priests whose sole motive is to earn money. For this category of priests, attendance at workshops is a must.

Ravi Khaitan,
Park Circus

This is a good idea. Nowadays, most priests do not have the basic knowledge of rituals and are only interested in the dakshina. In the workshops, it should be impressed upon them that it is their duty to preach about God and maintain the sanctity of their religion.

T.R. Anand,
Budge Budge

There is no need for priests to attend workshops on conducting rituals. Most Hindu priests are born with the knowledge, barring a few. The few aberrations are nothing to worry about. It will be a bit too much to force priests to attend workshops.

U. Bhattacharyya,
Deb Lane

Workshops on rituals cannot be made mandatory for priests. Rituals depend on faith and knowledge of religious norms. Faith is something that no workshop can instil in a person’s mind. However, workshops can certainly help in disseminating information on religious norms. Some age-old customs and practices have been packaged to suit the needs of modern times. However, such facelifts distort the basics. Innovative techniques can be a part of such workshops. They can actually add value to the rituals.

Indranil Sanyal,
Dhakuria

Workshops on rituals are not needed for priests. To conduct a puja, a priest must know the basics as well as the norms, rules and regulations. If a priest is found to be tampering with the basics for his convenience, he should not be allowed to continue. The priests should conduct rituals professionally.

Tuli Das,
Salt Lake

No. If rituals only needed to be learnt, anyone could have become a priest. Being a priest is a special responsibility that the common lot cannot fulfil. A priest should put emphasis on propagating universal goodwill. Believing in humanity is the ultimate religion, one that does not require any workshop.

Sohini Roy,
Sarat Chatterjee Avenue

Priests nowadays do not know the scriptures perfectly, so it would be best if they attend workshops before conducting rituals. The priests, too, would find it easier to conduct the rituals with some help. The workshops will also increase the faith of the common people in the priests.

Rahul Roy,
Dum Dum

Priests should attend workshops to understand and perform the rituals better. There are many priests who frequent libraries to increase their knowledge about the methodologies of conducting rituals. But there are also those who do not know the rituals properly. As people are sensitive about rituals, priests should conduct them carefully.

Protyush Mozumder,
New Sakuntala Park

Why not ? We are living in an age of professionalism. If all other activities call for a professional approach, puja cannot be an exception. This is all the more important to prevent infiltration of the uneducated into priesthood, taking advantage of people’s weaknesses regarding religion. Hinduism offers lucrative opportunities of making easy money. But one question remains — who is going to conduct the workshops?

Ranadip Ganguly,
Diamond Park

Priests are expected to know their religion. They should take a keen interest in attending workshops to enhance their knowledge about performing rituals.

Nidhi Poddar,
Salt Lake

Workshops on rituals might be fruitful, but they should not be mandatory for priests. A priest is expected to possess knowledge of the scriptures. Devotion to the Almighty cannot be taught.