Ahead of Shrawan, fees for KV temple priest services likely to be revised

Time of India

4 hours ago

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Varanasi: A priest would definitely get anything between Rs 800 and Rs 1,100 for performing Rudrabhishek anywhere else, but at Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which has undergone a grand rejuvenation, a priest receives just Rs 150 for performing the ritual.
This rate has remained unchanged since 2014.
Vendors supplying worship material for rituals said the price of a 'thaal' (plate) was fixed at Rs 65 in 2014 and it has not been revised so far. However, now it seems that priests and vendors would start getting a decent payment as divisional commissioner S Rajalingam has asked for a proposal to revise the fees and the price of a 'puja thaal'.
The divisional commissioner chaired a coordination meeting hosted by Kashi Vishwanath Dham authorities with all stakeholders at the board room on Sunday evening to discuss preparations for the Shravan month of 2025.
During the meeting, the concerns of priests and 'puja thaal' vendors were presented. The priests informed him that they receive only Rs 150 for Rudrabhishek ritual.
When TOI inquired about the minimum fee charged by an individual ritualist performing rituals independently, senior ritualists and priests of the holy city stated that even junior priests, who assist 'acharyas' (chief ritualists at events like Rudrabhishek), are currently receiving between Rs 800 and Rs 1,100.
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They mentioned that this fee is given to individuals apart from donations, which depend on the wishes of the 'jajman' (the person who organises any ritual at their preferred place).
The 'puja thali' vendors highlighted their problems, mentioning that the price of a worship plate is only Rs 65, which results in providing worship material in limited quantities. This often leads to dissatisfaction among devotees, who then question the vendors and priests about it.
Chief executive officer Vishwa Bhushan Mishra said that the rates for performing rituals like Rudrabhishek and 'puja thaal' were set in 2014 and have not been revised.
As a result, payments to vendors and priests were done at the old rates.
Taking a serious note of the situation, the divisional commissioner asked the temple administration to present a proposal comprising details of changes in the cost of living and increase in the price of 'puja' material over the past 11 years.
He assured that once such a proposal is tabled, an appropriate decision would be initiated.
The stakeholders, including shopkeepers, security and cleaning agencies, guest houses, refreshment centres and other institutions operating in the area, apprised the officials of the issues they face during large gatherings on major festivals such as the Shravan month, its Mondays, Rangbhari Ekadashi and Mahashivratri.
These issues include transportation and the non-accessibility of devotees to shops. Officials were assigned to study the issue for a proper solution through coordination with all parties.