Mumbai: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) plans to teach daily Panchopachar Puja to one crore families across India as part of the birth centenary celebrations of its former General Secretary, Ashok Singhal, who led the organisation for over 20 years. In Maharashtra and Goa, more than two lakh Hindu families, irrespective of caste or tribal background, will be offered free training.
Campaign To Honour Former VHP Leader Ashok Singhal
Singhal, who led the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi movement, joined the VHP after moving from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1981. He died on November 17, 2015.
Panchopachar Puja is a form of worship involving five offerings to deities. The two-hour training sessions will teach families the mantras, offerings and sequence of rituals.
The VHP's temple, archak and purohit outreach wing has begun preparations to take the campaign to every district, taluka, block, town, village and neighbourhood. Volunteers will oversee training, local arrangements, women's participation, institutional outreach, publicity and reporting.
Maharashtra And Goa Training Classes To Begin In January 2027
The campaign is scheduled to conclude on Vijayadashami, October 9, 2027. Each VHP province has been asked to set a target of training at least 50,000 families. In Maharashtra and Goa, classes will begin in phases from January 2027 at centres that have completed preparations.
Regional planning meetings are proposed for the last week of November and the first week of December, followed by district-level meetings with temple trustees, archaks, purohits, religious leaders, representatives of maths and Vedic schools, study and satsang groups, bhajan and kirtan groups, women's organisations, festival committees and community service organisations.
Special instructor-training programmes are also planned in December at district centres, major taluka centres and towns. Each session aims to bring together at least 50 participants, including men and women.
VHP Invites Teachers, Students And Homemakers To Volunteer
Teachers, lecturers, retired employees, students, scholars of Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit, homemakers and young adults have been encouraged to volunteer. Experienced purohits will demonstrate the rituals, guide participants in pronouncing the mantras and explain the procedure. A simple puja booklet, a mantra-pronunciation guide and demonstration videos will also be made available.
Local temples have been urged to serve as training centres and invite families from surrounding areas. Community halls, residential complexes and schools may also be used. Training sessions for students in schools and coaching classes have been proposed.
"The aim is to hold a two-hour class each week until all interested families in a village, neighbourhood, settlement or residential complex have had the opportunity to participate. New families will be invited every week, and the number of families trained will be reported to the district team," said Anil Sambre, Kshetra Mantri, Maharashtra and Goa, VHP.
The Maharashtra and Goa units aim to identify regular training centres and finalise their annual schedules by December 30, 2026. Depending on local capacity, classes will be held weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Major weekly centres are expected to conduct at least 40 classes annually, fortnightly centres around 24 and monthly centres 12. The VHP has appealed to every temple to organise at least one Panchopachar Puja training session each year.
District-level gatherings are also planned for families that complete the training. These will be held between Shri Krishna Janmashtami and Vijayadashami, during the period marking the VHP's Foundation Day, from August 25 to October 9, 2027.
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