Online puja gain popularity among devotees during Shravan in Ujjain, pandits adapt to digital demand

Time of India

3 days ago

Indore: Pandits in Ujjain have become busier than ever this Shravan month, as devotees residing abroad and in distant locations increasingly turning to digital platforms to perform pujas and rituals in the temple city, home to the Mahakaleshwar Temple, one of the 12 jyotirlingas.
Traditionally reliant on word-of-mouth, local pandits are now rapidly adapting to an online marketplace. With the onset of Shravan, which began on July 11 and will continue till Aug 9, the demand for online pujas has surged by an impressive 50 percent.
Online puja services via video calls and live streaming have gained substantial popularity, particularly among the overseas Indian community wishing to stay connected with their traditions.
Additionally, many working professionals are opting for remote online pujas to avoid travel hassles and save time.
Pandit Ram Chandra Shashtri said, "Online puja is getting very popular. Initially, we would get such request from Indians staying abroad, but now even out station people are asking us to do puja for them. Ujjain is a city of temples and every temple has its own speciality. We perform puja as per the need and desire of the devotee.
I have clients in the US, Australia, Dubai, Canada and many other places."
Pandits are performing 'mahamrityunjaya jaap', 'rudrabhishek', 'anusthan', and other special rituals online at various temples in Ujjain, depending on the type of puja and the temple known for that particular ritual. They stated that their schedules have become packed throughout the month and that they conduct virtual puja sessions catering to followers from different time zones during auspicious occasions.
Also, their schedules have become packed throughout the month and that they conduct virtual puja sessions catering to followers from different time zones during auspicious occasions.
Families living in the United States, Dubai, Canada, Australia, and Europe have found this a boon, as it allows them to maintain their religious observances without travelling thousands of miles. They also appreciate the convenience of participating from the comfort of their homes, especially during important occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and ancestral ceremonies.
Anamika Sharma from Dubai said, "We recently performed 'rudrabhishek' online at a temple in Ujjain. We were very keen to perform a puja in Ujjain. But travelling to India was a big challenge with two little kids. So, we explored this medium and were very satisfied with the results. This was the first time we participated in the online puja and may do it again."
Devotees said the online pujas help connect their loved ones to be part of the ceremony and are economical as they reduce the cost of travelling and accommodation.
Sushant Singh, a senior software analyst from Delhi said, "My friend shared his online puja experience and I decided to follow the suit. It saved us a lot of money which we would have otherwise spent on air tickets, hotels and food. Also, I did not have to take leave from my office."
Another devotee S Ram Kumar, a Phd scholar at IIT Delhi has booked an online puja at Ujjain as he could not take leave for travel.
Amid the increase in online puja demand, Ujjain's traditional priests are quickly adapting to the digital wave by learning to operate smartphones, webcams and streaming equipment.
Ujjain Pandits Association president Rajesh Trivedi said, "There is a jump of about 50 percent in demand coming for online puja. I perform around 20 online pujas in a month."