New Delhi: Imagine the beating heart of a temple at work, servitors preparing offerings, devotees making donations, kitchens whipping up prasad. Imagine the streets of a temple town, radiating outwards from the sanctum sanctorum, lined with shops and hotels catering to pilgrims, artisans hammering away in their workshops, schools and hospitals run by the temple trust. It’s an economy in itself—but often, the temples that sustain it are run chaotically, without the benefit of trained management.
It was to address this issue that two higher education institutes in Mumbai hit upon the idea of starting a new kind of course, applying a business-school perspective to temple management, especially those run by smaller trusts that often struggle with crowd control, fund management and overall administration.
While the University of Mumbai launched a one-year postgraduate diploma in temple management Friday, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool) started a six-month postgraduate programme in temple management’ last month.
The two programmes are being offered in partnership with Temple Connect, a Maharashtra-based private initiative that aims to enhance the temple ecosystem through technology and professional management.
Speaking to ThePrint, Ravikant Sangurde, director of the Centre of Hindu Studies at Mumbai University, said that India is home to approximately 3 million temples, highlighting the need for “trained professionals” to enhance their economic impact.
“According to tourism ministry data, India’s religious tourism sector attracted 1,439 million visitors in 2022 and it is projected to grow at 16 percent compound annual growth rate by 2030,” he explained. “We need courses to prepare future temple managers to handle this influx.”
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Idea behind initiative
Sangurde said the university Friday launched a diploma in temple management at the Centre of Hindu Studies.
“There’s a pressing need for proper management of temples, especially those run by smaller trusts, which often struggle with crowd control, fund management, and overall administration. This prompted the decision to establish postgraduate diploma courses on temple management to equip individuals with essential skills,” he explained.
The curriculum will include training in crowd management and fund allocation, he added.
“Temple trusts handle substantial funds and are responsible for societal uplift, running hospitals, schools, scholarship programmes and providing food for the needy. Thus, skilled managers are essential to ensure that these resources are utilised effectively. This course aims to cultivate the necessary knowledge, skills and aptitude for future temple managers,” Sangurde said.
According to him, many temple trustees have expressed interest in hiring individuals with these competencies.
“The diploma will also cover The Indian Trusts Act, 1882, which is crucial for any temple as they are registered under this legislation. We will educate students on the relevant rules and regulations under the act,” he said.
At WeSchool, officials said the motivation for starting the course was to apply a business-school perspective to temple management.
“The goal is to create skilled professionals who can efficiently manage temple operations. While we may not be experts in temple management, we can impart fundamental business management principles,” a senior official told ThePrint, not willing to be named.
The official pointed out that larger trusts often have access to advanced technologies, but smaller temples require trained personnel to enhance their operations.
“Many larger temples now offer online booking and virtual darshans, yet smaller temples continue to face challenges in these areas. Our courses will focus on training individuals in these essential skills so they can effectively support these smaller temples in the future,” the official stated.
Course curriculum and structure
According to the official from WeSchool, the curriculum for the course was developed after extensive ground research.
“A team of faculty and students visited various temples to identify practical challenges, and based on their findings, we created a comprehensive curriculum. We also pinpointed specific skillsets, including technology, that will be included in the course,” the official said.
Currently, 22 students are enrolled in the Mumbai University course, while WeSchool has 23 students in its programme, according to officials at both institutes.
“The cohort includes individuals from the temple community and related services, who are directly involved in temple transactions. We even have a few students with family backgrounds of pujaris. Participants come from various regions across the country,” the WeSchool official added.
Students will spend the first three months attending on-campus classes, followed by three months of internships at different temples, according to the official.
Sangurde said the university’s temple management programme will be divided into two semesters. “Each semester will consist of three months of on-campus classes, followed by three months of hands-on internships,” he explained.
The curriculum will cover subjects such as perspective management, spiritual economy, service management, community engagement and financial management. Additionally, it will focus on soft skills, including communication, technology proficiency, time management, problem-solving and decision-making.
What is Temple Connect?
Temple Connect is a private initiative that aims to enhance the temple ecosystem while documenting, digitalising and distributing the “devotional and spiritual wealth” associated with temples across India, according to its website.
Founder Giresh Vasudev Kulkarni said that temples embody two key aspects—religion and management.
“Our initiative concentrates on the management, operational, and administrative dimensions. Our goal is to enhance awareness of the temple ecosystem and its management,” he told ThePrint.
Kulkarni also emphasised the role of education in standardising systems and practices.
“We aim to leverage the education system for improved temple management, which is one of the oldest financial ecosystems in the world. Therefore, it is essential to skill and train the workforce to ensure the smooth functioning of temples,” he said.
In April, Temple Connect signed memorandums of understanding with both the University of Mumbai and WeSchool to launch these courses.
“Temple Connect and several prominent figures—including the former chairperson of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, former vice-chancellors of Mumbai and Pune universities, and the group director of Welingkar Institute—came together to establish these programmes. We are in the process of signing an MoU with Pune University (for a similar course). There is also a plan to include two-year MBA courses in temple management in the future,” Kulkarni added.
Additionally, he said, discussions are under way with 19 other institutes across the country to introduce similar courses. “We are also in talks with two international institutions to potentially serve as course and content specialists,” he added.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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