Who Is Qualified to be a Hindu Priest?

A Hindu priest may refer to either of the following a "Pujari" is a Hindu temple priest or a "Purohit" who performs duties in a temple.

In Hindu society, priests have invariably come from the Brahmin community, though in various parts of India, Hindus from other communities (such as Lingayats in parts of Karnataka) have performed the function, too.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Priest

A Hindu priest's primary responsibility is to conduct daily prayers (puja) at the temple. During Hindu festivals, traditional events such as weddings, the sacred thread ceremony, performance of antyesti, and special deity-specific ceremonies, priests may be called upon to conduct pujas. In order to perform a puja, the priests are required to have prior skills and knowledge. To be a qualified priest, one must know the required mantras and strotas fluently in Sanskrit and be familiar with the materials required to perform the puja for various ceremonies and rituals.

Hindu priests, from an early age, are trained to memorise sanskrit slokas in order to chant them during rituals and ceremonies without aid. 

Qualifications of a Hindu Priest

The required qualification to be a Hindu priest is, one should be a Brahmin. There is no authority for the notion of the birth-based caste system in authoritative Hindu scriptures. Even a person born in a "low-caste" family can become a Brahmin provided he acquires the necessary knowledge and is eligible to be appointed as a priest. 

Daily routine

Daily, Hindu priests would perform prayers four to six times. He showers the deities with water and milk, clothes Him with traditional wear and jewellery. 

Can Women be a Hindu Priestess?

Although there is no expressed prohibitions against them in the scriptures, owing to physiological and psychological reasons, women are never appointed as Hindu priests. There are many a practical reasons for the practice, too.