Priests

Priests in Hindu temples usually come from families with long heritage of priesthood. They are well-versed in Hindu scriptures and Sanskrit language in which most of the scriptures are written. The priests carry out the worship in the temple on behalf of other devotees. It is hence parartha, a service conducted for the sake of others. This worship of the deities is known as pooja and devotees can request such a service to the deity of their choice. Each deity is worshipped in a different way -- rituals are different and different Sanskrit Mantras are chanted. Typically temple priests do not engage in preaching (which is done by Swamijis, or Hindu monks). They will, however, explain the meaning of the pooja if asked.  The priest performs the daily ceremonial ritual, ‘pooja’, which includes making offerings to the God, showering the idol with flowers, and on special occasions, milk, honey and curd. Towards the end of the pooja, an oil lamp with one or several wicks is lit called Aarati (sacred flame). With ringing of bells and gongs and chanting of mantras the Aarati is waved slowly in front of the deity around in a vertical oval traversing the whole deity from head to foot. After the ceremony, holy water, sacred flame and prasad are offered as blessings to the attending devotees to absorb the spiritual vibrations. The priest offers a spoonful of the holy water to all the attending devotees. This is accepted with a cupped right hand, sipped and then the right palm is touched to the forehead. When the sacred flame is brought around, with palms facing down, one reaches out both hands gently over the flame and then touch the hands to one's eyes. The ‘Prasad’ is an edible offering, generally a fruit or a sweet, which is accepted reverentially with a cupped right hand before eating.

Temple Priests perform daily poojas to the deities in the temple in the morning and evening to maintain the sanctity and the spiritual atmosphere in the temple. 

HCCNA Priests

The priests at HCCNA are well versed in Ágama Sastras and Vedic Sastras. They have extensive experience in performing Archanas, Poojas, Homas and Abhishekams. They are highly qualified and well versed in all Hindu scriptures with years of experience in performing all poojas and ceremonies. They are also specialized in deity decorations, especially Moola and Utsav Murthy(s). Priest services are also available to devotees homes. Devotees have praised their high standard of performance and the manner in which poojas and abhisekams are conducted with dedication and quality. They are conversant in several languages including Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Odissi, Tamil, Kannada and English.

 

Pt. Pavan Kumar Vangala | 256-585-4948

Pt. Sriram Kannan | 256-425-6875