Clergy Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Hinduism == {{Main|Hindu priest}} A '''Hindu priest''' may refer to either of the following: * A [[Pujari]] (IAST: Pūjārī) or an Archaka is a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] temple priest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2018-09-23 |title=Arcaka: 11 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/arcaka |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en |archive-date=2022-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928161433/https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/arcaka |url-status=live }}</ref> * A [[Purohit|Purohita]] (IAST: Purōhita) officiates and performs rituals and ceremonies, and is usually linked to a specific family or, historically, a dynasty.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2014-08-03 |title=Purohita: 24 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/purohita |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en |archive-date=2022-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170326/https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/purohita |url-status=live }}</ref> Traditionally, priests have predominantly come from the [[Brahmin]] [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]], whose male members are designated for the function in the [[Hindu texts]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dubois |first1=Jean Antoine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ki1BAQAAMAAJ&dq=brahmins+priesthood&pg=PA15 |title=Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies |last2=Beauchamp |first2=Henry King |date=1897 |publisher=Clarendon Press |pages=15 |language=en |access-date=2023-12-24 |archive-date=2023-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224230237/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ki1BAQAAMAAJ&dq=brahmins+priesthood&pg=PA15 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gandhi |first=Dr Srinivasan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9g5tDwAAQBAJ&dq=priesthood+hinduism&pg=PT266 |title=Hinduism And Brotherhood |date=2018-09-05 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64324-834-9 |pages=266 |language=en |access-date=2023-12-24 |archive-date=2023-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224230237/https://books.google.com/books?id=9g5tDwAAQBAJ&dq=priesthood+hinduism&pg=PT266 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Hindu]] priests are known to perform prayer services, often referred to as [[Puja (Hinduism)|''puja'']]. Priests are identified as [[Pandit|''pandits'']] or ''pujaris'' amongst the devotees.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Hindu Religious Worker Definitions |url=https://www.hinduamerican.org/hindu-religious-worker-definitions |website=Hindu American Foundation |access-date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204647/https://www.hinduamerican.org/hindu-religious-worker-definitions |url-status=live }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page