TTD's Veda Pathasala Has Produced 6000 Vedic Pundits

Tirumala, 26 September 2017: One could see the 45  bare bodied young boys  dressed in traditional attire of namam, dhoti accompanying Vahana processions  on the mada streets during Brahmotsvam. Led by seven teachers they also stage Vaidika Haram along with pontiffs Sri Sri Sri Pedda Jeeyars  around the Vahana seva  they take you back to good old days of Veda studies.

These boys also daily stage chaturveda parayanam at the Nada Niranjanam in the court yard of Srivari Temple during Brahmotsvams. They are all young wards  belonging to the S.V.Veda Vijnanapeetham, Dharmagiri about 4 km from Tirumala. Nestled amidst green sylvan surroundings and secured with all modern parameters, the premier institute of Vedic studies is popular through out the  known Hindu world.' Whenever there is demand for priests  for temples overseas, they look for graduates from Dharmagiri and our students are working in many American cities UK, Singapore, Bangkok and also European cities 'says Acharya Ashok Kumar, a senior faculty member of the Vijnanapeetham.

As you enter the main gate where the black stone statue of Vidya saraswati greets you and the resounding chant of Vedas and other shastras by 5-12 year old boys takes you back to bygone days of Gurukul teaching.in the ashrams .' We catch them young and train them in pronunciation of Sanskrit words as in Gayatri mantram before we start off with others ' he says. 

TTD is committed to promote Vedic studies and also Veda education and its temples, and the SV Vedic university all are devoted to popularize Vedas and holy scripts.etc. ' Knowledge of Sanskrit and Vedas is crucial to functioning of all  Hindu religious institutions and TTD has taken a leap to consolidate ancient knowledge by promoting Pathasala and Vedic university ' says TTD E O

Anil Kumar Singhal.

Shaking their heads and the tiny pony tail on their shaved heads, the students immersed in correct pronunciation of Sanskrit mantras make a study in oriental education taken up by the TTD in a big way.' We have  650 students and 60 teachers in 17 faculties and so far  6000  youth have graduated from this institute  in Vedas, Agamas and also Smartha faculties( archakatvam)' says the in charge principal K V Sheshadri.

Catch them young is the traditional format of learning which is in practice at the Vedic studies institutions of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, where  students are enrolled from young age of  5 years  for 7  to 12 year courses in Vedas, Agamas, Divya prabhandas and Smarthas .'The basic criteria is that one should  have completed thread ceremony and know Gayatri mantram ' he says .

The training and study course is tough as wards have to get up at 5.00 AM and kept engaged for over 12 hours  till 7.30 PM in the evening .Students leave their homes and come for studies at such young age and go back home as icons of ancient knowledge and pundit years later. The training is rigorous . But the wards are also introduced to the real world frequently. Film shows, counselling , sports events  ' We guide the wards to keep abreast the ways of modern world also so that when they could they should be able to adjust to present times 'says Sheshadri.

The campus of the SV Veda Vijnanapeetham in the middle of the Seshachala forests connected by bus and secured with a police outpost .The students enjoy free boarding and lodging and also a corpus of Rs. 1.5 lakh deposited by the TTD which will be given to them along with certificates if they complete the course .They also get a free medical checkup  once in 15 days .They have an in house warden and deputy warden who stay nights also  and seniors are  juniors are housed separately.

The Dharmagiri Veda school is the only institute which taught in 17 faculties. There were six other branches of  SV Veda Vijnanapeetham at Vizianagaram, I.Bhemavaram, Keesaragutta, Nalgonda, Chilkur and 

On top of everything they get real time experience at the Srivari temple where they participate in various veda parayanams.During Dhanurmasam all 650 of them are blessed with Nija pada padma darshan on last Friday  ' More than 1000 of our students are already gainfully employed in TTD temples and also abroad ' says Ashok kumar adding that the students of Smarthas normally have to take up archakatvam in private temples.

Commenting about future of Veda studies and Archakatvam, the principal Seshadri said oriental studies was still a rage in the country and also overseas, particularly Europe.Sanskrit schools and colleges were emerging .As long our beliefs in religion continued, temples and study of vedas etc also got patronisation.' Even software engineers and scientists have shown interest in Vedic studies ' he adds.