India’s First Temple Management Course Set To Start This April. A Look At The Syllabus And Job Prospects
The course will commence on April 1, 2025, with three-month, six-month, and annual options available. Online admissions will be open from April 1 to May 15, with no specific eligibility requirements
With the rise in religious tourism, temples are now set to be managed by individuals skilled not only in worship but also in administrative strategies, crowd management, and event planning. This represents a new area of study that is becoming increasingly necessary.
India’s religious economy has seen considerable growth recently, primarily due to an increase in religious tourism.
related stories
Significant Economic Contributions
According to the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) data released in 2022, India’s temple economy contributed approximately Rs 3.02 lakh crore to the nation’s economy, around 2.32 per cent of the GDP at that time. In 2023, India received 18.89 million international tourists, generating $28.07 billion in foreign exchange earnings from tourism.
By 2028, the tourism and hospitality industry is expected to generate over Rs 50,000 crore in revenue. Religious tourism plays a significant role in this, with about 60% of Indian tourism linked to religious and spiritual sites. Pilgrimages to Ayodhya and other places associated with Lord Ram have seen a fivefold increase year-on-year.
Similarly, donations at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi reached a record high of Rs 11.14 crore in March 2024, with 95.6 lakh pilgrims visiting during this period.
These figures indicate a steady rise in economic activities related to religious tourism and temples in India, significantly contributing to the overall economy. Consequently, new fields related to religious management, including temple management, are emerging. Recognising this need, the renowned Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi is launching a course in temple management starting this April.
Temple Management Course Details
Temple Management encompasses the operation, maintenance, and administration of temples. This includes financial management, organising religious rituals, managing facilities for devotees, ensuring temple cleanliness, and preserving cultural-religious heritage. The field combines traditional knowledge of rituals, astrology, and worship with modern management techniques for efficient temple operations.
The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University will offer a specialised course aimed at training individuals for careers in temple management or religious roles such as priests, astrologers, or religious gurus.
The university aims to blend traditional Sanskrit knowledge with modern management skills, preparing students to contribute effectively to temple operations. The course will cover skills related to rituals, astrology, as well as temple administration, providing students with employment opportunities.
Course Commencement and Curriculum
The course will commence on April 1, 2025, with three-month, six-month, and annual options available. Online admissions will be open from April 1 to May 15, with no specific eligibility requirements.
The curriculum will include:
- Principles of temple construction
- Methods of idol consecration and Pran Pratishtha
- Rules of Vastu Shastra
- Crowd management
- Vastu Shastra principles for temple plot selection and construction
This course represents a pioneering study in temple management, preparing a new generation of educated and trained professionals in this field. While similar courses in religious studies and theology exist worldwide, this programme focuses specifically on temple management within the Indian context.
The Global Context
Courses in religious studies or theology are available in many countries, focusing on the operation and management of churches, mosques, or other religious places. For instance, universities and seminaries in the US and Europe offer courses in Christian theology or church management, training priests or religious leaders.
Hospitality management or heritage management courses, focusing on preserving and operating cultural and religious sites, are available in countries like Japan and Israel.
In Japan, informal or traditional training for managing Buddhist temples and Shinto Shrines is passed down through generations within monasteries. In Israel, Rabbi training programmes relate to the operation and religious leadership of synagogues.
The Varanasi course stands out by integrating Indian traditions and modern needs. Other Indian universities and institutes, such as Banaras Hindu University, Gurukul Kangri University, Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Ramakrishna Mission, and Sri Sri University, also offer priesthood studies.
Religious tourism, a centuries-old practice, is seeing a major resurgence as people increasingly seek spiritual fulfilment and connection, rather than just relaxation or adventure, through travel.
According to the India Travel Trends Report by Make My Trip, searches for religious places increased by 97% in 2021 compared to 2023. Notably, searches for Ayodhya increased by 585%, Ujjain by 359%, Badrinath by 343%, and Kedarnath by 322%.
While religious tourism offers benefits, it also brings challenges such as overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural insensitivity. In such cases, effective temple management can play a key role in promoting sustainable religious tourism practices, ensuring these sacred sites are respected, protected and preserved for future generations.
- Location :
- First Published: