Temples might seem like nothing special to us, with India having lakhs of them all across the country. However, the term ‘temple economy’ is nothing to dismiss, considering the amount of money temples are earning in today’s time.
As per a report, statistics from the Ministry of Tourism reveal that “In the year 2022, the total earnings from temples amounted to Rs 1.34 lakh crores, which is a substantial increase from around Rs 65 thousand crores in 2021.
This represents a doubling of revenue from pilgrimage sites in just one year, compared to Rs 50,136 crore in 2020, Rs 211,661 crore in 2019, and Rs 194,881 crores in 2018.”
Temples are also big creators of jobs especially on local and regional levels, and as per a Moneycontrol report “annual income through pilgrimage economy in context of Amarnath Yatra, Mata Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori and Hemis Gompa run into thousands of crores.”
This is perhaps why, a few institutes in Mumbai offering college-level courses in temple management is more a need of the hour.
What Are These Temple Courses?
Mumbai University’s Hindu Study Centre recently launched the Post Graduate Diploma in Temple Management along with various other courses related to this sector like an MA in Keertan Shastra, a Diploma in Bhagavad Gita, a Diploma in Bhakti and others.
The temple management is the first time such a course is being offered by the university and is said to have around 60 seats.
Head of the centre Dr Ravikant Sangurde, said, “There are two courses in Temple Management – a one-year post graduate diploma and a six-month post graduate certificate course. Candidates have the option to take admission to the certificate course and continue for a year to get a diploma or leave in six months with a certificate.”
Reports also speculate that later on down the line, a full-time two-year MBA program in temple management could also be introduced by the university.
The start date for the course is said to be 19 September and it will end on 25 September, 2024.
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There is another institute that started a temple management course just last month. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool) launched its six-month postgraduate programme in temple management (PGPTM) with a course fee of Rs. 25,000.
As per the site, “Participants gain practical insights through a 3-month On-the-Job training component, supplemented by enlightening guest lectures delivered by industry practitioners, ensuring a well-rounded learning experience tailored to meet the demands of temple management.”
The course focuses on five modules:
- Perspective Management
- Understanding Spiritual Economy
- Services Management
- Community Engagement
- Financial Management
Along with this, the course also talks about soft skill development like
- Adaptability
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Leadership and Administrative Ability and more
It is expected that these courses will help regularise temples more helping with fund management, crowd control, administration of the temple, etc.
Both these courses are also being offered in Temple Connect, a 2016 Maharashtra-based private initiative that wants to organise the temple ecosystem with professional management and technology.
Ravikant Sangurde, director of the Centre of Hindu Studies at Mumbai University, was quoted by The Print saying, “According to tourism ministry data, India’s religious tourism sector attracted 1,439 million visitors in 2022 and it is projected to grow at 16 per cent compound annual growth rate by 2030.”
He further said, “We need courses to prepare future temple managers to handle this influx.”
Sangurde mentioned that there are almost 3 million temples in India, and that “there’s a pressing need for proper management of temples, especially those run by smaller trusts, which often struggle with crowd control, fund management, and overall administration. This prompted the decision to establish postgraduate diploma courses on temple management to equip individuals with essential skills.”
He also commented on why these courses are important because “temple trusts handle substantial funds and are responsible for societal uplift, running hospitals, schools, scholarship programmes and providing food for the needy.
Thus, skilled managers are essential to ensure that these resources are utilised effectively. This course aims to cultivate the necessary knowledge, skills and aptitude for future temple managers.”
He also talked about how the diploma covers The Indian Trusts Act, of 1882 under which all temples are registered and that it is important to “educate students on the relevant rules and regulations under the act.”
These are not the only institutes offering a course in temple management. The Shree Somnath Sanskrit University, Gujarat has a one-year UG diploma course in Temple Management while MSU Baroda has a part-time one-year Certificate course in Temple Management.
The Indian Institute of Skill Development Training also has a Diploma in Vocation (Temple Management) programme that lasts about six months.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, India Today
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