Lucknow: Lucknow University (LU) will now also produce priests and Vastu Shastra experts.The astrology department will start two courses – MA Priesthood and MA Vastu Shastra – from the upcoming session. Both will be in the self-finance category with Rs 15,080 per semester fees and have 30 seats each.Officials said that the programmes have been designed by the astrology department professors and the syllabi align with UGC guidelines, with a focus on practical application along with traditional learning.The MA Priesthood course will take students through rituals and karmakand practices linked with life events from birth to death. It includes study of nitya karma, naimittika karma and kamya karma as provided in dharma shastras, along with training in rituals such as rudrabhishek, chandi path and bhagwat katha.When asked about how a degree in priesthood will help a candidate when there are many other options available to learn the rituals, department coordinator Shyamlesh Kumar Tiwari said, “It will help graduates in getting visas for other countries with a substantial Hindu population where they can be hired as priests in temples. It will also act as evidence for graduates to show that they have learnt about rituals from an authentic institution.”The MA Vastu Shastra course will deal with ancient Indian architectural science. Students will study land selection, soil types, building site suitability and energy aspects of spaces. Ancient texts such as samarangana sutradhara, maimatam, vishwakarma prakash and muhurta chintamani will be part of the syllabus, along with guidance on auspicious timing for construction and rituals. Graduates can start their own consultancy services or join companies for employment, he added.The astrology department already runs MA and BA courses in astrology and offers a PhD in the subject. It has recently also started offering consultancy services in astrology.
