VIJAYAWADA, INDIA, July 28, 2002: The Endowments Minister, D. Sivarama Raju, on Sunday said that the Government would soon set up an autonomous State level advisory council for ensuring proper conduct of puja, worship, and other rituals in temples as ordained in the scriptures. The proposed advisory council would be filled with Vedic pundits, archakas (priests) and Hindu religious scholars fully conversant with Hindu dharma. The council would advise and supervise the conduct of the rituals that has to be followed by priests in the temples. Speaking to reporters here at Chinna Jeeyar Ashrama, Sitanagaram, the Minister admitted that the need for such an advisory body had become essential in the wake of criticism that many temples were not performing the regular aradhana ceremonies and other rituals as advised in the scripture.
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