Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced constitution of a Mandir Prabandh Sansthan and Pujari Kalyan Kosh. He also said that Vidisha's Barh Wale Ganesh Ji Ka Mandir will be developed as a human service centre. He was performing Pran Pratishtha of Barh Wale Ganesh Ji on the banks of Betwa river at Vidisha today with prescribed religious rituals and procedures.
Chouhan said that Mandir Prabandh Sansthan will be set up for better management of temples and mutts in Madhya Pradesh. The institution will be set up at Bhopal during the current year.
It will be run by a board of directors comprising noted religious acharyas and scholars. Its objective will be to maintain temples as per Sanatan Maryada, beliefs and traditions. The institution will train priests. It will undertake research on temples' problems from time to time and draw state government's attention towards them. Temple management will include various activities relating to Veda school, Agam schools, Sanskrit teaching, temple reservoirs, parks' renovation, development of Mandir Dharma Granthalay, Mandir Vastu Shastra etc.
The institute will also conduct courses in various branches of Dharma education. It will issue guiding principles from time to time for methods of worship, religious rites and classical traditions of philosophy. The institute will also give suggestions regarding moveable and immoveable properties of temples and holding religious programmes throughout the state as per religious calendar.
Chouhan said that the state government will also put into practice the suggestions put forth from Mandir Prabandh Sansthan.
The Chief Minister said that the fees given to the priests has been doubled. Despite this, it has been decided to constitute Pujari Kalyan Kosh in view of problems being faced by priests in making both ends meet. The state government will give Rs 2 crore per annum to the fund. The fund will help priests in emergency situations. Donations from various sources will also be received by the fund to be constituted under the Religious Endowment Department. The fund will be run and managed by Madhya Pradesh Mandir Prabandh Sansthan.
