Want to become a 'kirtankar?' Crack an entrance exam

Want to become a kirtankar or a preacher? Then you have to crack an entrance examination, especially if you are seeking to get admission to the Jog Maharaj Warkari Shikshan Sanstha in Alandi, about 25 km from the city.

The sanstha was started by Sadguru Jog Maharaj in 1917 in Alandi along with his four learners to spread spiritual knowledge and teachings of the great saints.

Over thousands of kirtankars, who have completed their course from the sanstha, are enlightening society. In 2010, 77 students passed out as kirtankars. At present, about 298 aspiring kirtankars not only from Maharashtra but from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are learning at the sanstha.

The teaching here is rigorous. There is a syllabus for the four-year course. Sanskrit language, Dnyaneshwari, Bhagwat Gita, Tukaram Gatha, Eknathi Bhagwat, Vicharsagar, Panchdeshi and other granthas are taught. Besides these, singing bhajans, performing kirtans and playing pakhawaj are also part of the syllabus.

Admission to the course is purely on the basis of merit. One needs to crack an entrance exam first.

Secretary Bajirao Nana Chindile said, "Marathi and Sanskrit are taught to the students seeking admission here before they give the entrance test so that they do not face any problem during the exam. A merit list of students who have scored well is then prepared. There have been cases where students have scored 75 marks out of 100 and still not got an admission."

The rest of the admission process is free. The teachers also teach for free. There are no restrictions on the students. In fact, they are allowed to pursue other commercial courses at the same time. Some of the students are studying in private colleges and are pursuing bachelor in arts and commerce.

Chindile said, "There are some students who have taken admission in open universities and are pursuing their bachelor courses. We have not put any restrictions on the students," he said. Moreover, one of the teachers is an engineer, while the other is a doctor. Chindile said, "We have six teachers in which one is a doctor and the other is an engineer. They completed the four-year course at the sanstha and continued teaching here," he said.

Bharat Chowdhari, a student, said, "I am pursuing bachelors in commerce but at the same time I want to become a well-known kirtankar in the near future," he said.

Rohanraj Shinde, another student, who joined the institution after completing his higher secondary school, said, "I thought the course would be a cakewalk when I cracked the entrance examination. Now, I am in my second year and have realised that it is not a simple task to become a kirtankar. One needs patience and perseverance to continue learning."

Speaking about the schedule, Shinde said, "We have to wake up early and attend the morning bhajan programme. Later we study Dnyaneshwari and abhangs." The sanstha offers morning breakfast and dinner as well.

Dnyaneshwar Shinde, a teacher who has completed his engineering and has worked in a multi-national company for eight years, talked about his decision to become a full-time teacher at the sanstha.

"My parents were following the warkari sect and would visit Alandi every year. During a project for my company, I got a chance to visit the sanstha. I was fascinated by it and I decided to leave my job and took admission at the sanstha. Later on, the sanstha members asked me to teach and I have been a full-time teacher since past four years," he said.

"I want to give valuable knowledge of Dnyaneshwari and Bhagwat Gita to today's generation so they can use it for their own benefit," Shinde said.