Services offering Hindus “surrogate” pujas (or offerings to a deity) and other rituals as well as streaming webcasts of temple ceremonies from India are becoming more widespread, reports Hinduism Today (April/May/June).
Several virtual puja services are run from India with a global clientele. EPrarthana.com allows customers to pay a charge of $9 to order an archana (a special puja conducted for an individual by a temple priest) performed for them in a south Indian temple and to the deity of their choice. After the company performs the service, it sends the customer the “Prasad” and other offerings.
There are also temple services specializing in north India temples, writes Madhuri Shekar. One American customer had a friend who became seriously ill and through EPrarthana ordered a 14-day puja to be conducted for him at the Vaideeshwaran Temple in India over the Internet. Such webcasts, as well as on-demand videos, of ceremonies in Indian temples are increasingly popular.
The company E-Darshan broadcasts videos from over a dozen temples in south India. “For those who do not wish to miss a live broadcast, the site’s Twitter feed provides instant updates to followers,” reports Shekar.
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