Back-up priests

With the dearth of Zoroastrian students to study at the community madressas, the trustees should consider holding evening or vacation classes for lay Parsis to receive training for basic ceremonies such as farokshi, baj, satum and afringan. The Mumbai Mirror (MM) of August 26, 2006 carries an article on how the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, the umbrella organization for the Ganesh mandals, "plans to train children on how to conduct the rituals.”

The solution was suggested "to meet the crippling shortage of priests during the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival in Bombay,” stated MM correspondent Manoj R. Nair.

Pandurang Jadhav, president of the Samiti is quoted as saying, "We are not equipped to teach them the entire Vedas. We will also not put them through examinations. But we will teach them basic prayers and tell them the significance of offerings like flowers that are made during pujas. If the mandals do not find priests to conduct the pujas, these children can help.”

Fire temples facing a shortage of priests could similarly use trained youngsters to assist as and when required.