COIMBATORE-TAMILNADU: 15 days residential (Gurugula type) training camp for village temple poojaris was held at Coimbatore from February 23, 2010 to March 9, 2010. Grama Kovil Poojarigal Peravai a wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Tamil Nadu and Coimbatore Kamakshipuri Adeenam Sri Anghala Parameswari Siddhar Peetam jointly conducted this camp with the guidance of Sri S Vedantam, Managing Trustee, Grama Kovil Poojarigal Peravai and International Working President, VHP.
The camp was inaugurated on February 23, 2010 by HH Sri Kumaragurupura Swamigal, head of Siravai Adeenam Kaumara Matam Coimbatore and HH Sri Sivalangeswara Swamigal, Head of Kamakshipuri Adeenam-Sri Angalaparameswari Siddhar Peetam spoke and gave their blessings. Swamiji appreciated the efforts of GKPP to conduct this camp.
108 poojaris from 30 districts participated in the camp and they were taught how to do pooja on the basis of Agama Shastras. Morning prayer, yogasanas, training to do abhishekam, alankaram, sankalpam, archana, dupa deepa naivedyam, devotional songs and bhajans the daily routine of the camp. Yagnopavitadaranam for 18 participants and Sivadeeksha for 32 participants were performed on their own request. Sri Pakshi Sivarajan Rameswaram is the pratana Acharya of the camp. Sri Karthikeyan,Chennai Sri AK Sundrarajan incharge of the training camp and Sri A Jeevanathan are other Acharyas of the camp.
Sri Kasi Viswanathan, All India Secretary, VHP Sri RS Narayanaswamy State vice president, VHP, Sri Arumugam and Rishi Palpu, Coimbatore Sampak incharges of VHP, Sri K Jagadeesan State Convenor, GKPP, Sri PM Nagarajan, State organising secretary, VHP, Sri C Kanakarajan State office secretary and others took part in the camp.They expressed their views in the camp, urging the poojaris to do temple pooja in a proper manner and to make awareness among the village people to protect temples and stop conversion.
Valedictory function was held on March 09, 2010. HH Sri Marudachala Adigalar, Jr Swamigal of Perur Adeenam Coimbatore delivered lecture and gave his blessings. HH Sri Sivalangeswara Swamigal, Head of Sri Kamakshipuri Adeenam delivered veledictory address. Sri S Vedantam managing trustee Grama Koivl Poojarigal Peravai explained the purpose of the camp.
In Tamil Nadu there are Veda Agama Patashalas to train Archakas who are doing poojas in Siva and Vishnu temples. But there is no arrangement for giving training to village temple poojaris. Grama Kovil Poojarigal Peravai has taken the responsibility of giving training to village temple poojaris. So far 31 camps have been conducted and 2515 poojaris were trained in these camps. On the invitation of Government of Sri Lanka GKPP has conducted training camps in Colombo in which 152 poojaris were trained.
