An idol of Goddess Saraswati. File picture

Feb. 14: The purohits (priests) are busy sketching out their schedule on the eve of Saraswati Puja. Not surprising! After all, they are in high demand with people from all corners of the city asking them to perform Saraswati Puja at different locations as per Hindu religious rites.

But with puja pandals increasing very year, the current number of purohits in the city appear less compared to their demand. A single priest now has to perform Saraswati Puja at a number of locations within the stipulated lagna (a special timing for conducting a religious ritual). And mind you, this is in no way easy, as they have to appease the Goddess of Knowledge at all the puja venues so that she bestows her blessings on her devotees.

This compels the purohits to cut short the religious rituals that need to be performed elaborately while conducting the puja.

“I will be very busy tomorrow as I will have to perform puja at different venues. Many people whom I have known for years have been calling me up, requesting to perform puja at their house. However, practically it is not possible for me to conduct the puja for all of them. But I can’t even dishearten them and so, have arranged for other priests to perform the pujas at the places where I won’t be able to go. I will sit for the puja at the first venue at 7am tomorrow and will be busy throughout the day,” said purohit Pabitra Sarma.

“To perform Saraswati Puja with all the rituals elaborately, four to fivehours are needed. But we are bound to complete the rituals within three to three-and-a-half hours so as to cover different puja pandals. However, we try to perform the puja in the best manner we can within this short period. Besides, this time the lagna for the puja is only till 11.30am and we have to finish it within this holy hour,” said Sarma.

Saraswati Puja has evolved in the past few decades. Earlier, it was performed only in educational institutions, where students as well as the public used to visit early in the morning for pushpanjali (flower offerings) to Goddess Saraswati. But now people in every neighbourhood and most of the apartment societies perform the puja.