GHAZIABAD: Mohit Pandey, a 22-year-old student of Vedic studies at the Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya in the city, is among the 29 priests who have been selected to perform puja at the Ram temple that will open in Ayodhya in January. Mohit, who is from Sitapur, was among 3,000 priests who had applied for posts at the Ram temple. He was barely nine when he came to the vedic school, where he studied for 10 years.He then moved to Sri Venkateswara Vedic University in Tirupati to pursue an MA in Acharya.Its a matter of great pride for us that our student has been chosen as a priest at the Ayodhya Ram temple. We trained him here for 10 long years, said Mahant Narayan Giri, the head priest of the Dudheshwar Nath temple and chief patron of the Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya.It wasnt easy for Mohit to make it to the final list of 29 priests. Of the 3,000 applicants from across the country, 200 were shortlisted after written tests. Interviews followed and 29 made the cut. They are undergoing a six-month training in Ayodhya after which they will be inducted into the temples panel of priests. It isnt an easy test to pass. But his command over Sanskrit and pronunciation of words to worship the lord would have held him in good stead. He was trained in all these, Giri said.Toyraj Upadhyay, his teacher at Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya, agreed about Mohits deep knowledge of Sanskrit. He was always a bright student. He comes from a humble background — his father is a farmer and mother a homemaker. Since his uncle was a priest, priesthood came to him naturally, he said.Mohit followed a disciplined life at the institute. We have a strict routine here. One must get up as early as 4am. Just attending classes isnt enough here. One must help other priests in the daily chores, as well, Upadhyay said. The teacher called up his student after the selection. As humble as he is, he gave all the credit to us. After training, he will be inducted into priesthood during the temples pran prathistha ceremony on January 22, Upadhyay added.The Dudheshwar Ved Vidyalaya has been imparting training in Vedic studies to students since 2002. At present, there are 72 students in the institute.We also published the following articles recentlyNews of Ghaziabad boy selected to be Ayodhya temple priest goes viral: Qualifications required for the postA Ghaziabad boy named Mohit Pandey, a student of Dudheshwar Vedic University, has been selected as the first individual priest of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Mohit, who initially studied Samaveda, pursued higher studies at Venkateshwara Vedic University and obtained an Acharya degree. He spent seven years studying religion and rituals at Dudheshwar Vedic University. The selection of priests is part of the preparation for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla temple scheduled for January 22, 2024.High priest for Ayodhya rituals has Shivaji linkThe choice of an 86-year-old Vedic scholar from Varanasi to lead the assembly of priests at the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 is inextricably linked to another watershed moment in Indian history almost 350 years ago: Chhatrapati Shivajis coronation in 1674. Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, an authority on age-old traditions of Vedic rituals, traces his lineage to the renowned 17th-century Kashi scholar Gaga Bhatt, who presided over Shivajis ascension as fountainhead of Hindavi Swarajya or an independent Maratha state.3,000 applicants, 200 shortlisted, 20 chosen: What it takes to become Ram Mandir priestThe construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is set to be completed by December-end followed by a consecration ceremony, or the pran prathishtha, on January 22, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. There were over 3,000 applicants for the 20 priest positions at the Ram Mandir. After being shortlisted, 200 priests are undergoing rigorous training for six months and undertake an exam before being finally selected. The 20 priests who will be chosen must fulfill specific responsibilities and clauses. Over 6,000 invitation cards for the grand consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla have been sent to invitees from across the nation.

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