IN a bid to train local Hindu priests, the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) is organising the Adipadai Archagar Pairchi (Basic Priest Level One Course).
About 60 participants aged between 11 and 45 have completed the course. They came not only from Penang but also from Johor, Pahang, Selangor, Kedah and Perak.
The course was held at the Hindu Academy located at the Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple in Seberang Jaya, Butterworth.
Malaysia Hindu dharma Mamandram Penang and Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple joined in to help organise the course.
Trainee priests of various ages attending the Basic Priest Level One Course, instructed by Muthukumara (right). With them is Nanda Kumar (second right). |
National Advisory Council chairman and trustee of Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram, Siva Shri Muthukumara Sivachariyar conducted the course.
Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram Penang chairman V. Nanda Kumar said the academy was formed under the directive of PHEB chairman Dr P. Ramasamy to address the shortage of Hindu priests at temples around the country.
Nanda Kumar said the academy’s objective was to train locals to become priests, thus reducing the need to rely on priests from Tamil Nadu, India.
He said it was not easy to bring in priests from Tamil Nadu as it involved a lot of paperwork.
“This is the first time such a course has been conducted in the country with Penang taking the lead,” he said.
He added that besides teaching the local priests to perform prayers in temples, the course also trained them to teach religious matters.
“Upon completing the course, participants will be absorbed as assistant priests at the temples where they attended the course,” said Nanda Kumar.
Visit the official website: http://hebpenang.gov.my/