Priestly Duties

Interview with a priest
Hanuman Temple, Allahabad


I am a priest here. Over here, three or four artis take place. Just before daybreak, there is one at five o’clock. Then, in the afternoon, at five o’clock, there is another. Then at night time, another one occurs at 8:30 on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and at eight o’clock on the other days. Finally there is the sain arti, a hidden arti by which we summon the gods. This occurs at 10 p.m.

I only want to serve the gods. The gods are served by shraddha bhakti. We give devoted service. Our work is to do the decoration and the artis and pujas of these gods, to serve them 24 hours a day, faithfully. My beginning and my end both are right here, serving the gods. Along with Hanuman, we worship all the gods and goddesses, because all are Brahma. Brahma is one, and manifestations are many.

Hanuman Ji is an adrishya rudr. Ravan worshipped only drishya rudr. If Ravan had worshipped an intangible deity, no one on earth would have been able to destroy him.

Hanuman himself has deities in him, that’s why we worship him. The difference between tangible and intangible deities is like the difference between a father and a son.