08-28-2008, 03:50 AM
Deccan Chronicle 28 Aug., 2008
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New-age pujas take over
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<img src='http://www.deccan.com/Hyderabad%20Chronicle/28hc2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Om Ganeshaaya namaha â No this isnât a pujari chanting hymns on Ganesh Chathurthi, itâs your tape recorder thatâs playing all the chants required to perform your puja. From CDs to quick rituals to online darshans, Bengalureans are opting for new-age convenient pujas in order to adjust with this fast-paced life.
Gone are the days when we used to call pujaris home on a festival, says teacher Viraja S. "Earlier, we would have pundits come home on every Ganesh Chathurthi or Varmalakshmi to perform pujas for us. <b>But now we prefer to use a recorded cassette that has all the mantras in it." Itâs also a matter of convenience for her. "If we call a pujari home, our schedules have to be adjusted according to his. But when we use a cassette, we can play it whenever ever we want to conduct the puja."</b>
Homemaker Gowri Narayan talks about how CDs are preferred over priests. "<b>Pundits these days hardly have any time because of their busy schedule. They just finish off the rituals in half an hour, while a CD contains the entire two-hour puja."</b> says Gowri whoâs been following this system for the past 18 years on festivals like Janmashtami, Ganesha Chathurthi and even Anantha Chathurdhashi.
However, there are some people who still believe in calling a pundit home during festivals. Entrepreneur Neha Shekhawat says, <b>"We have a family priest who comes home during Diwali and other special occasions." </b>A lot of people prefer to have shortened pujas, says Neha who adds, "Many finish off the puja within an hour and request the pundit to do so due to time constraints. The fact is that no one has time these days- the pundit or the people who call him. <b>Sometimes people call priests home because they are superstitious about such things and they end up playing a cassette to perform the rest of the puja after the pundit makes a quick exit."</b> The Internet too is a paradise for the religious and spiritual lot who want to perform pujas or have darshans of their favourite Gods. Sites like onlinemandir.com and spritualpuja.com offer devotees a chance to perform online aartis and have virtual tours.
These are just fashionable in todayâs world, says pujari K.Y.Subramanya. "Nowadays, pundits and gurus arenât given that much like in the olden days. Itâs just that people donât have enough time to call for pujaris who themselves are busy these days. But itâs not right that pundits cut short a puja just to save time, a puja cannot be performed this way."
When it comes to online pujas, he says, "I donât approve of it although it suits this tech-savvy age. You get real satisfaction only if you perform a live puja." Life in the fast-lane has certainly changed the way Bengalureans perform pujas, but namma festivals still live on!
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This has happened in US already due to lack of poojaris in earlier days. Now after the dotcom boom the poojaris demand too much. They are called ony for rituals whihc need their intervention.
Maybe its a good thing as the pooja ritual was supposed to be an individual effort and not require a poojari. The poojaris was need for homas and archanas in the temple. ou see the rise of the poojari with the riseof Islam as traditonal occupations were barred for the raja was now a sultan.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New-age pujas take over
Â
<img src='http://www.deccan.com/Hyderabad%20Chronicle/28hc2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Om Ganeshaaya namaha â No this isnât a pujari chanting hymns on Ganesh Chathurthi, itâs your tape recorder thatâs playing all the chants required to perform your puja. From CDs to quick rituals to online darshans, Bengalureans are opting for new-age convenient pujas in order to adjust with this fast-paced life.
Gone are the days when we used to call pujaris home on a festival, says teacher Viraja S. "Earlier, we would have pundits come home on every Ganesh Chathurthi or Varmalakshmi to perform pujas for us. <b>But now we prefer to use a recorded cassette that has all the mantras in it." Itâs also a matter of convenience for her. "If we call a pujari home, our schedules have to be adjusted according to his. But when we use a cassette, we can play it whenever ever we want to conduct the puja."</b>
Homemaker Gowri Narayan talks about how CDs are preferred over priests. "<b>Pundits these days hardly have any time because of their busy schedule. They just finish off the rituals in half an hour, while a CD contains the entire two-hour puja."</b> says Gowri whoâs been following this system for the past 18 years on festivals like Janmashtami, Ganesha Chathurthi and even Anantha Chathurdhashi.
However, there are some people who still believe in calling a pundit home during festivals. Entrepreneur Neha Shekhawat says, <b>"We have a family priest who comes home during Diwali and other special occasions." </b>A lot of people prefer to have shortened pujas, says Neha who adds, "Many finish off the puja within an hour and request the pundit to do so due to time constraints. The fact is that no one has time these days- the pundit or the people who call him. <b>Sometimes people call priests home because they are superstitious about such things and they end up playing a cassette to perform the rest of the puja after the pundit makes a quick exit."</b> The Internet too is a paradise for the religious and spiritual lot who want to perform pujas or have darshans of their favourite Gods. Sites like onlinemandir.com and spritualpuja.com offer devotees a chance to perform online aartis and have virtual tours.
These are just fashionable in todayâs world, says pujari K.Y.Subramanya. "Nowadays, pundits and gurus arenât given that much like in the olden days. Itâs just that people donât have enough time to call for pujaris who themselves are busy these days. But itâs not right that pundits cut short a puja just to save time, a puja cannot be performed this way."
When it comes to online pujas, he says, "I donât approve of it although it suits this tech-savvy age. You get real satisfaction only if you perform a live puja." Life in the fast-lane has certainly changed the way Bengalureans perform pujas, but namma festivals still live on!
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This has happened in US already due to lack of poojaris in earlier days. Now after the dotcom boom the poojaris demand too much. They are called ony for rituals whihc need their intervention.
Maybe its a good thing as the pooja ritual was supposed to be an individual effort and not require a poojari. The poojaris was need for homas and archanas in the temple. ou see the rise of the poojari with the riseof Islam as traditonal occupations were barred for the raja was now a sultan.