If you can perform a pooja yourself, nothing like it. It gives the best results. However not many know how to perform a ritualistic pooja, or the patience to do repeated mantra japa with concentration. Those who don’t know take the help of the priests to do it for them.
The Priests:- To become a Vedic priest to perform rituals for others, called pundit or purohit or pujari or archaka, one has to go through several years of Vedic studies (normally eight years), take mantra deeksha from a good guru, observe the strict rules laid down for the ritualistic way of life of a priest. Mafia politicians, shop keepers and brass bangle exporters have a better standing in the society today than a Vedic priest. But still in this amazing country some very highly intelligent and disciplined youngsters from very good families take up this profession and keep the Vedic flames burning. One of the priests in the group of pundits who perform Anushthans & poojas is a well qualified Music Director who worked as an Music Arranger for one year and then gave up and became a priest because – “This is my tradition and my heart is with the service of the Almighty!!” Hats off to this community.
Yes, like in every profession there are cheats and fraud priests who don’t know the rituals properly, or don’t perform them properly and take people for a ride. For example The Rudrabhishekam is a 2-1/2 hrs ritual normally But a pandit perform a simple archana with Shivopasana mantra, recited the Panchakshari stotra and blessed a yajman!! It takes only 10 minutes to reach its completion. The yagyman(client ) is unknown to the procedure.The decent educated man gets disgusted with this kind of priests.
We prescribe poojas and anusthans as remedies to our clients and several of them repeatedly asked us to start a pooja ordering section where genuine and sincere Vedic priests can perform the authentic poojas as prescribed.
Our panel of 10 priests do not compromise with any rituals and do not perform any shortcut poojas. The perfect rhythm and clarity with which they recite the Vedic mantras is truly divine music to the ears.