Head of the centre Dr Ravikant Sangurde, said, “There are two courses in Temple Management – a one year post graduate diploma and a six month post graduate certificate course. Candidates have the option to take admission to the certificate course and continue for a year to get a diploma or leave in six months with a certificate.”

For courses such as MA in Hindu Studies and MA in Keertan-Shastra, 18 and 22 admissions, respectively, have been confirmed already. “For admission to both these courses, candidates are expected to clear an entrance test. It is important for students to have a basic knowledge in this field, especially related to specific terminologies used,” said Sangurde, adding that candidates from diverse backgrounds are showing interest in the field.

Why candidates are opting for such courses

He added, “While people are busy in making ends meet, they are also trying to achieve their ambitions but are struggling for happiness. This is resulting in stressful lives. People seeking admission to these courses have expressed that they want to understand what’s written about life in ancient philosophies of the Hindu culture. This quest has also led to demand for our course in Bhagavad Gita too.”

Bhagavad Gita courses by Centre for Hindu Studies

The Centre for Hindu Studies at the MU is offering two courses on Bhagavad Gita – introduction courses and applied Bhagavad Gita. “The second course connects knowledge from Bhagavad Gita with our day-to-day life struggles. Both are short-term courses for two credits, offered as electives for students from any course at Mumbai University,” said Sangurde.

Bhagavad Gita courses by Department of Sanskrit

Mumbai University’s Department of Sanskrit too is offering a course on Bhagavad Gita, which they started last year. Head of the department Dr Shakuntala Gawade, said, “It is Diploma in Bhagavad Gita, a certificate course where candidates get to learn various different perspectives of Bhagwad Gita. There are 60 seats for this part-time course which is almost full now.”

The Sanskrit Department has a long list of unique part-time courses such as Diploma in Bhakti, Certificate in Prakrit and Diploma in Manuscriptology. “In the Manuscriptology course, students learn various scripts of Sanskrit such as Brahmi, Sharada and Newari. There are so many inscriptions, repositories of manuscripts which is like a treasure of knowledge and literature. But it is unexplored as there are not enough individuals who can read those,” said Gawde.

Last year, the Sanskrit department started four new post graduation courses – MA in Classical Sanskrit Literature, M A in Yogashastra, M A in Ethics and Puranas and MA in Arthashastra which too are gaining demand.

Admission criteria and procedure

For MA and PG Diploma/Certificate courses, a candidate is required to have graduation. All other certificate courses are open to individuals having passed the Class 12 or equivalent exams. Candidates can find admission details on the official websites of the two departments.