Want to book a priest? Press ‘enter’

With more than 360 kinds of Tamil puja services available on its website, Harivara, a Chennai-based online start-up, has started providing puja services at doorsteps, complete with a professional priest, in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. 

“In just a few clicks, Harivara helps those who want to avail of a priest based on preferences ranging from caste, community, language and location. We even deliver puja materials to your doorstep. Shopping for puja items consumes anywhere between three to five hours, so we want our clients to save that time,” Arun Kumar Somaskandan, Harivara’s founder and chief executive officer, said according to newspaper reports.

With 27,000-plus pujas already being performed, the company has a tie-up with over 2,500 vedic priests across the globe, the reports said.

The start-up provides a wide range of services, from Griha Pravesham, Bhima Ratha Shanthi (70th birthday puja), Karna Vedha (ear piercing) to Homa, Vartam and Japs.

“We have professionally trained purohits/pandits. We do a complete background analysis before roping them into our network,” Somaskandan said.  

“Unlike other business ventures, there is no market size or statistics involved here. Every new launch means a housewarming ceremony and every newborn baby means a new client for us,” he added.

All you have to do is select a priest based on your community and language on the website, book a date and preferred package, and make the payment. Harivara then connects you with a professional priest, who brings the materials required for the puja.

Started with an initial investment of Rs 10 lakh, the company has reportedly performed its 27,000-plus pujas till date in the US, the UK, West Asia and Singapore, apart from the cities mentioned on their website.

“For people abroad, we perform the puja through a webcast,” Somaskandan said.