oppn parties The Shortage of Brahmins to Perform Pujas

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  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
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  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
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  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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The Shortage of Brahmins to Perform Pujas

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2016-09-28 22:34:31

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
The walls of Kolkata are plastered with an interesting poster this festive season. The lead picture shows the poster. The request written in Bengali translates thus:

“We want an austere and competent Brahmin to conduct Puja and other religious functions. Contact ….”

Where have all the “austere and competent” Brahmins vanished?

The poster just brings out in the open a problem that is being faced by everyone in Kolkata and one is sure the situation is the same in all towns and cities of India. Currently, the Pitra Paksha is going on. It is a period of 15 days when most Hindus conduct a ritual called Shraddha to appease their ancestors by offering Tarpan, feeding and giving clothes and money to Brahmins. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find Brahmins who can come over.

The same applies to such important Pujas as Vishwakarma, Shiv Ratri, Navratri and Durga Puja and especially Diwali. The shortage of Brahmins means that they conduct many Pujas on that auspicious day, running from one client to another. Even during the chanting of Slokas, their eye is always on the wristwatch and their attention on the mobile phone. The correctness and piety of such hurriedly performed Pujas are always in doubt.

But why is there a shortage of “austere and competent” Brahmins?

There are many reasons for this. The main reason is that like all most trades and professions, either the sons of Brahmins are not getting into their family profession or the parents are not letting them. As aspirations rise, Brahmins give the best of education to their children and do not want them to perform Pujas and live on handouts from rich clients. The second is that no youngster has the patience required to learn all the Sanskrit Slokas and the thousands of rituals that are necessary to perform any Puja. Thirdly, in the Brahmin hierarchy, performing Pujas is the lowest job in the pyramid. Babadom is the peak. All Brahmins now aspire to be Babas with hundreds of followers. There is huge money to be made in that. There are other reasons too, but these are the three main ones. Hence, Brahmins you might find, but there is no guarantee they will be “austere and competent.”

That is the main reason why people are now taking to advertize for filling up the post. Are HR agencies listening? They should get cracking on the job. It promises to be a fairly lucrative area as it is totally untapped. The potential is unlimited.

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