SATV Kathmandu, Oct. 3- With Pitri Paksha, the fortnight dedicated to paying homage to ancestors, underway, Hindu families across the country are observing Sorha Shraddha rituals on different days based on the death-day Tithi of their ancestors.
The period is considered religiously significant, as devotees offer prayers, tarpan and pindadan in memory of deceased family members. However, as households prepare for Shraddha, a shortage of priests to conduct the rituals has become increasingly evident.
There was a time when priests who performed religious rituals were readily available in villages. Families would simply inform a priest about a Shraddha ceremony and invite him home to perform the rituals according to tradition.
But now, as several families observe Shraddha on the same day during Pitri Paksha, priests find it increasingly difficult to manage their time. Kashinath Nepal of Birtamod, Jhapa, said that demand for priests rises significantly during this period. With a limited number of priests having to respond to requests from many families, managing their schedules has become a major challenge, he said.
Priests said they often have to conduct Sorha Shraddha ceremonies at two or even three households in a single day. They complete rituals at one household in the morning before rushing to another and then attending a third family’s ceremony. This creates time-management difficulties not only for priests but also for the families organising the rituals.
Another priest from Jhapa, Ghanshyam Rijal, said the problem has become more noticeable in recent years. As several families invite him on the same day, it becomes difficult to accommodate everyone’s preferred time, while turning down requests is also not easy.
“There used to be many priests in villages. Their number has been declining. Those who remain are extremely busy during Pitri Paksha,” Rijal said.
For Damak resident Kiran Bhattarai, the shortage of priests is not a new problem. Every year, as the Shraddha period approaches, his first concern is how to arrange for a priest.
“It has become difficult to find a priest every year. We have to make arrangements according to the priest’s availability,” Bhattarai said.
For families performing Shraddha, the ritual is tied to a specific date and lunar day. Therefore, when a priest is unavailable at their preferred time, families have to adjust their schedules according to the priest’s availability, Bhattarai said. He added that this was not an issue faced by just one family but by many families.
As young people show less interest in learning religious rituals, the number of priests is also declining.
According to Pushpa Sapkota, who has been working as a priest for a long time, the declining interest among the younger generation in Sanskrit education, religious rituals and religious studies is a matter of concern.
Sapkota said traditional knowledge of performing religious rituals, which was traditionally passed down through families or gurukuls, is no longer being adequately transferred to the younger generation. As a result, the shortage of priests could become more severe in the future.
The number of young people choosing priesthood as their main livelihood has been declining due to other employment opportunities, overseas migration and modern education. This has directly affected the continuation of religious and cultural practices.
Damak-based educationist and social worker Nabin Yogi said the shortage of priests should not be viewed only as a problem related to religious rituals but also in terms of the transmission of cultural knowledge between generations.
Yogi said there was a need to make gurukul education more systematic, encourage young people to learn religious rituals and develop priesthood as a respectable and organised profession.
