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Hindu priests are known to perform services often referred to as puja. Priests are identified as pandits or pujaris amongst devotees .Priests were the instigating factor to why ordinary people of Hindu religion became indulged severely in a devotional path. Hindu priests through their extended knowledge of the literatures, Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana were able to encourage the Hindu community to devote to Hindu deities.

Responsibilities
Their primary responsibility is to conduct daily prayers (puja) at the temple. During Hindu festivals, traditional events such as weddings , sacred thread , last rites and special deity ceremonies , priests are called upon to conduct puja's either at the temple or at the location of the event. In order to perform these puja's, the priests are required to have prior skills and knowledge. To be a qualified priest, they must know the required chants (mantras and strotas) fluently in Sanskrit and be familiar with the materials required to perform the puja for various ceremonies and rituals .Pandits from an early age were trained to memorize hymns in order to chant them during rituals and ceremonies without aid. Receiving assistance to remember hymns and chants were frowned upon, and were only expected to recite the hymns through memory.

Who Can Be a Priest?
Only Brahmins have the social right to perform rituals as a priest however, they are not restricted to careers as just priests. Hindu priests worship and service deities at all times and are in the daily presence of the deities thus consuming non-vegetarian food is not an option, they are strictly vegetarians .Additionally, Brahmins are considered the most pure ; purification is regarded as an essential aspect in many religions in order to be close to god. Therefore, by leading lives as vegans and avoiding flesh eating they achieve an integrity to be a priest. There are exceptions to Hindu priests as they can also belong to other castes, but they would be restricted to performing rituals within their own community as they stand far below that of a Brahmin.

Daily Routine
Daily routines of Hindu priests would consist of prayers as much as four to six times per day and perhaps even more. Every morning pandits are in charge of bathing the deity with water and milk, clothing the deity with traditional wear and jewellery. After conducting the ritual, the priest offers food to devotees after it has been presented in front of the god referred to as prasad. Whilst food is being handed out, the priests as well as the devotees engage in singing prayers praising the deity. The priests finally conclude with an arthi(lighted camphor) shown to the deity and held in the presence of the devotees to receive dharshan(blessing). A Hindu priest would repeat this routine every day as a part of their responsibility in servicing god.