Observations. #721.
1/n
"BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTH IT"
I was chatting with a friend who lives in Delhi this morning & we were discussing the remunerations for priests in Hindu temples.
There's a temple being constructed in his neighborhood & he actually asked the priest his +
2/n
salary & the man said it was going to be 9K plus accommodation (modest) in the temple premises.
9K! For a Hindu priest. For someone who knows the Vedas & our scriptures. For someone who reads mantras & does pooja when you buy a house.. buy a car.
Think again.
My friend +
3/n
said that he pays around ~20K for his cook & house-help. The colony watchmen (8th pass) get around 18K.
Again, this man who helps uphold Sanatana Dharma, gets paid 9k. A pittance!
That's how much we think our priests are worth. That's how much we value their knowledge.
+
4/n
Interestingly, my friend mentioned that the priests *never* ask / demand money. They just take what they get.
Reminds me of something my brother mentioned a few months ago... priests in the South are having a hard time getting married because they get paid nothing. Who +
5/n
would want to marry someone who makes nothing?
Is this how we revere those who carry our customs & traditions forward? Is this how we determine their worth?
What's keeping them still going?
I don't know how much priests in the big & famous temples are paid... but if this +
6/n
is the case in the smaller temples in the nation with the most Hindus... SIGH.
No wonder.
THE END.
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