Shganda
In Mandaeism, a shganda, shkanda, or ashganda
is a ritual assistant who helps priests with ritual duties.
In the Mandaean diaspora, shgandas, or alternatively learned laymen called yalufa, often perform minor priestly roles due to shortages of tarmida and ganzibra priests abroad.
Tarmida initiations
initiates or novices have often been trained as shgandas when they were children. Initiates may or may not be married, although typically they are not yet married.During tarmida initiation ceremonies, shgandas, who represent emissaries from the World of Light, also help perform the rituals, many of which are held in a specially constructed priest initiation hut and also a nearby temporary reed hut.