Job Opportunities

There were about 10 Hindu Temples in USA around 1980. In 2006, there are about 200 Hindu Temples in USA and about 800 Hindu priests provide exemplary conventional religious services in these temples. There are about 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 Hindus live in USA . Some people estimate that about 5,000,000 residents of USA believe in Hindu philosophy. Many priests after serving about 5 years in temples obtained an Immigration Visa (green card) and started their own group practices. Three to four priests together provide Hindu Services like Satynarayana Pooja, Graha Pravesha, Thread Ceremony, Naming Ceremony and Marriage Ceremony etc by visiting houses in their own cars by driving or flying on commercial planes and provide Hindu Services at homes in metropolitan cities like Washington DC., New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

American Hindu Temple managements are constantly looking for scholarly, soft English spoken well qualified priests who have following qualifications (For details see the attached file Priest Application Sample)

1. Fluency in English, Tamil Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, or Hindi,

2. All community Skills i.e. Sampradaya

3. Ready to do Poorva and Apara karma [Sradham, Last Rituals, etc].

Typically, Priest Visa will be for a period of two to three years. If the temple likes the priests, then they can come back to the same temple after 1 year. We have given all information in the website www. havyak.com and sample application form of the priests and how to contact temple managements (click on the website HINDUTEMPLES.US and MIPRIEST.COM).

Our intent is to educate Hindu priests/ fresh graduates from Veda Patashala to get job opportunities in American Hindu Temples. Please, read the website instructions carefully and apply for a priest job to all Hindu Temples of your interest. Usually, there are no application fees for priest position. Please, do not be carried away by agents who would promise you visa by taking thousands of rupees in advance. You should keep your passport ready. You do not need an agent to get the Indian Passport.

I recommend the Ved Patashala students to perform voluntary services to assist the priest at the near by temples 8 to 10 hours per week. This voluntary service helps you to improve your communication skills while dealing with the public as well as to learn day to day rituals from a senior priest. This service helps the temple and the recommendation from the temple chairperson /president about your voluntary service looks extremely good in your resume. I highly recommend you to send the application through email. If you get a job offer from the temple and you need further information then only, please contact Ramesh Bhat 01-248-225-8945 or Ram Bhat at 01 703-569-9792 or email to rambhat@aol.com .

. Please circulate this information to all Veda Patashalas in India if possible.

Ramachandra K. Bhat

7204 Sterling Grove Drive Springfield VA 22150

USA

5 February 2006