India is a rich land of cultures, traditions and religious aspects. At the heart of this ancient land lies Hinduism, a rich and multifaceted religion that encompassess every aspect of Indian life. With its roots deeply entrenched in the subcontinent’s soil, Hinduism embodies a diverse array of beliefs, practices, and philosophies that have evolved over thousands of years. It is one of the largest religions in India with almost 966.3 million Hindu people.
According to research, there are 6.48 lakhs of temples in India out of which many are turning into famous tourist attractions and gather almost lakhs of devotees every day. The Kedarnath temple, Badrinath temple, Vaishno Devi temple and many more are some of the famous temples. Lately, there has been a new economy booming termed as temple economy, which adds to the economy of the country. The recent Ram Mandir in Ayodhya created 20,000 job opportunities. Therefore, the need for temple management is on the rise. This not only helps in employment but also helps to preserve historical and cultural significance, maintain cleanliness and spiritual ambience, offer educational and charitable services, manage financial resources transparently, adhere to legal regulations, mitigate conflicts, and foster spiritual growth among devotees.
In recent news, Mumbai University made headlines and sparked a buzz with its latest course offering. It recently launched courses in temple management and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies.
According to Mumbai University Vice Chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni, the courses which include a 6 month certificate and a 12-month diploma course are developed to create awareness of temple management. If these courses are successful then MU will offer an MBA in temple management.
Scheduled to begin in June 2024. This temple management curriculum will include a diverse range of topics like disaster management, crowd management, architecture, revenue and financial affairs, Indian tradition and many more sub-topics related to historical and religious factors.
This course will be formed with the help of schools like Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies and Alkesh Dinesh Mody Institute. These courses also intend to include a 3-month training or internship period to gain experience. The course will offer people to train in various temples in Maharashtra as well as the country.
Additionally, the Vice-Chancellor also highlighted that the temples in the country are using innovative techniques in fields such as solar energy management, donation management, and crowd and queue management using technology. For example, some temples are recycling flowers offered by devotees to produce incense sticks, thereby creating employment opportunities while promoting environmental sustainability.
Moreover, it is also stated that this will contribute to the development of fresh case studies that will study Hindu Philosophy and its practical applications in modern society.
This course will be integrated with the National Education Policy (2020), a comprehensive framework developed by the government of India that aims to transform the Indian education system to meet the needs of the 21st century.
Thus to conclude, the introduction of temple management courses by Mumbai University is crucial as it represents a significant acknowledgment of the cultural, historical, and economic significance of temples in India.
