A.P. Endowments Department adopts merit-based recruitment for temple vedic staff posts
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Endowments Commissioner K. Ramachandra Mohan reviewing the certificates of candidates applying for archakas posts, in Vijayawada on Monday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
The Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department is adopting a transparent selection process for the appointment of priests and other Vedic staff in temples, with candidates being selected purely on merit through written and oral examinations, Commissioner K. Ramachandra Mohan said on Monday (September 28, 2026).
Speaking to the media at C.V. Reddy Charities here, Mr. Ramachandra Mohan said the recruitment was aimed at ensuring that major pujas and other rituals in temples were performed in accordance with prescribed religious and traditional practices. With the government’s approval, steps had been initiated to fill 344 Vedic staff posts across the State, he said.
As part of the first phase, 580 Vedic scholars had applied for the posts, of whom 14 candidates who demonstrated merit had been selected and appointed in different temples, the Commissioner said.
The second phase, involving the recruitment of archakas, has now commenced. As many as 816 applications had been received for 107 archaka posts and, after scrutiny of eligibility, hall tickets had been issued to 441 candidates, he said.
The written examinations based on different Agamas will be conducted. The Smartha Agama examination began on Monday. Examinations for Pancharatra, Vaikhanasa, Shaiva, Veerashaiva, and Grama Devata Agamas will be conducted on separate subsequent days, he said.
A committee comprising senior Endowments Department officials and supervisory-level staff had been constituted to ensure that the examinations were conducted in a transparent and systematic manner.
Candidates securing at least 50 per cent marks in the written examination would be shortlisted for the oral examination in a 1:3 ratio based on merit. The oral examinations would be conducted by scholars proficient in the respective Agamas, Mr. Ramachandra Mohan said.
The marks secured in the written and oral examinations would be consolidated to prepare the final merit list. Allocation of candidates to different temples would be made through a “merit-cum-option” system, based on the preferences submitted by the candidates, he said.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
