Online Pujan for NRI Devotees: How Sankalp Works, What to Expect and Prasad Abroad

For many families living abroad, the wish to perform a pujan at the right time, at the right place, with the right pandit often meets the practical reality of distance, work and children's school. Online sankalp pujan was created for exactly this situation. This guide explains how it works, so that you can decide with confidence.

What is a sankalp, and why does it make an online pujan meaningful?

A sankalp is the solemn resolve at the start of a ritual, in which the pandit states the date, place, your name, your gotra and the purpose of the pujan. In the tradition, it is the sankalp that connects the ritual to the person for whom it is performed. It is long-standing practice that a pujan can be performed on behalf of a person, for example by a family priest for a household, and the sankalp makes that clear.

Devotion remains the heart of it. Many devotees say that sitting at home, in a quiet room with a lamp, while the pujan is performed in Ujjain, feels close and personal. If you can travel to Ujjain, that has its own special feeling, and we welcome you. If you cannot, online participation lets you join with a sincere mind.

How it works, step by step

1. Choose the pujan and package. The page of each pujan explains its meaning, who commonly performs it and what is included.
2. Pick a date. Guruji checks the panchang. For some pujans, a particular tithi or muhurta matters, and he will advise you.
3. Share the details. Usually your full name, gotra, the names of family members for the sankalp and, for some pujans, birth details or the names of ancestors. If you do not know your gotra, tell us, and Guruji will suggest the traditional way to proceed.
4. Pay online. Rupee payments go through Razorpay, and US dollar and other card payments through Stripe. You receive a receipt by email.
5. Receive confirmation. You get the date and time in both Indian Standard Time and your local time, a list of what to keep ready and, if your package includes it, a private live link.
6. The pujan is performed. In Ujjain, at the appropriate place, with your name and gotra in the sankalp.
7. Receive the video. After the pujan, you receive a recording, usually within one to two days, and prasad if your package includes it.

The live link and the recording

If your package includes live participation, you receive a private video link before the pujan. You can join from a phone, tablet or computer. Please test your internet and audio a little before time. At the right moment in the ritual, Guruji will ask you to join in the sankalp or offer water, flowers or rice from your side, and you simply follow along.

Do not worry if you are unable to join live, or if your connection drops. The pujan goes on in your name at the agreed time and you receive the recording afterwards. The link is private to you and your family, so please do not share it publicly.

Time zones, without confusion

All pujans are scheduled in Indian Standard Time (IST), since they are performed in Ujjain. Your confirmation shows the time in your local zone as well. A few general guides, which change with daylight saving:

• IST is about 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of the UK in winter and 4 hours 30 minutes ahead in summer.
• It is about 9.5 to 10.5 hours ahead of the US East Coast and 12.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of the US West Coast.
• UAE and Singapore are close to India's time, with a difference of 1.5 hours behind and 2.5 hours ahead respectively.

Many pujans are performed in the morning in India, which is evening or night in North America. If that is difficult, tell us and we will see whether another muhurta on the same day, or a nearby date, is suitable. Where the tithi or muhurta is essential, we will explain it honestly.

What to keep ready

Usually very little: a clean space, a seat, a diya, water in a small vessel and a few flowers or tulsi leaves if you have them. Dress simply and bathe beforehand if you can. If more is needed, we tell you in advance. If your local rules forbid an open flame or incense, simply keep a diya-style electric light, as devotion matters most.

Prasad abroad

If your package includes prasad, we send blessed items in sealed packets, such as dry sweets, rudraksha, sacred thread, kumkum or bhasma. For safety and customs reasons, only dry, sealed, non-perishable items are shipped internationally, and we do not send anything that a country restricts. Delivery takes about 10 to 20 days, depending on the country and the courier, and you receive a tracking number. Import duties or clearance, if any, are the recipient's responsibility. In India, prasad usually takes 3 to 5 working days.

Another option many families choose is to have the prasad sent to a parent or relative in India, who then joins in the family's thanksgiving.

For parents, ancestors and special days

Many NRI families book pujans for parents' health, for a family home in India, for ancestors during Pitru Paksha, or for festival days such as Maha Shivratri, Diwali and Navratri. These can be arranged in advance, and slots for festival days fill early. If you wish to remember ancestors, it helps to gather names, relations and, if known, the dates of passing before you book.

What an honest service should tell you

• The price and what is included, before you pay.
• That no specific result is guaranteed. A pujan is an act of faith, and we pray for your well-being.
• What the cancellation policy is. Please read it on our Cancellation Policy page.
• That you are free to choose a simple pujan, and that there is no pressure on you to buy a larger one.

If you have questions, write to us in English or Hindi, and we will be glad to guide you.