Online Puja Booking: How Sankalp, Gotra and Prasad Work

Updated for the 2027 yatra season (facts checked October 2026)

Not every devotee can reach Kedarnath, Kashi, Ujjain or Gaya when it matters. Elderly parents, families abroad, people recovering from illness and anyone whose dates fall in a closed season have long asked a tirth purohit to perform a puja in their name. Online booking and video calls have simply made this easier. This guide explains, step by step, how a proxy puja works, what sankalp and gotra mean, how prasad reaches you, how official temple services differ from private ones, and how to avoid the fake websites that target devotees.

What is a sankalp, and why does it matter in an online puja?

A sankalp is the formal statement of intention made at the start of every puja. Holding water, rice and flowers, the priest names the time and place (the year, month, tithi and the tirtha), the person for whom the puja is done, their gotra and the purpose. Only then does the ritual begin.

In an online puja, the sankalp is what connects the ritual to you. The priest speaks your name and gotra exactly as you have written them, which is why giving correct details is the most important thing you do. A typical sankalp includes:

• Full names of everyone the puja is for
• Gotra of the family
• Place of residence (some priests ask for the city)
• Intention: health, a new beginning, thanksgiving, peace for the departed, relief from a dosha
• Optional: date of birth, nakshatra or rashi, if the puja was advised for an astrological reason

What if I do not know my gotra?

Gotra is the lineage passed down the father’s line, named after a rishi such as Bharadwaj, Vashishtha or Kashyap. Many families, especially those settled abroad or in cities for generations, no longer know theirs. Ask elders first; the family priest or the tirth purohit’s records (bahi) at Haridwar, Prayagraj or Gaya often have it. If it still cannot be found, priests traditionally use the Kashyap gotra, since all beings are held to descend from Rishi Kashyap. A married woman’s sankalp customarily uses her husband’s gotra, though families follow their own practice.

How online puja booking works, step by step

1. Choose the puja and the place. Rudrabhishek at Kashi or Kedarnath, pind daan at Gaya, a Ganga puja at Har Ki Pauri, and so on. Ask what exactly will be done and where.
2. Pick the date. Mondays and Pradosh for Shiva, the death tithi or Amavasya for ancestors, a birthday or anniversary for a family sankalp. The priest confirms the muhurat.
3. Send your details in writing: names, gotra, intention, any names of the departed with relations, your WhatsApp number and postal address.
4. Receive a written confirmation showing the names exactly as they will be spoken, the date and approximate time, the place and the priest’s name. Check spellings now.
5. Pay through a traceable method to the account named in the confirmation.
6. On the day, join or receive the video. Sit quietly at home, light a diya, and when the priest asks you to repeat your name or touch water to your forehead, do so.
7. Receive prasad, the sankalp record and a tracking number.

Can I watch my online puja live?

Usually yes, but not from inside major temple sanctums. The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, for example, bans phones and all gadgets inside its premises, and many large temples have similar rules. A genuine priest therefore performs the filmed puja at his puja place, a ghat or a nearby shrine, and then offers your sankalp at darshan inside the temple without a camera. Be wary of anyone who sends “live video from the sanctum” of a temple where phones are banned.

For families abroad, the time difference matters: a pre-dawn puja in Ujjain is evening in North America. Ask for a recording if the live time does not suit you.

How does prasad reach me, and what is in it?

Prasad from an online puja is dry prasad, packed so it travels safely: mishri, dry fruit, bhasma or chandan, a rudraksha or kalava, dried bel or tulsi leaves and your sankalp slip. Within India it is couriered with a tracking number and usually arrives in a few days. Liquids such as Ganga jal can be sent within India, but many countries do not accept liquids by post, so parcels abroad generally carry dry items only, and international courier is usually charged separately. In shraddh rites the pindas are offered to the river and are never sent.

Official temple online services vs a priest booked through an organiser

Several large temples now run their own online services. These are run by the temple authority itself and are worth knowing about.

Temple or authority	What it offers online	Points to know
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, Varanasi	Rudrabhishek by temple Shastris (some options with video conference), aarti tickets, Sugam Darshan	Bookings are treated as donations: no cancellation, no change of date
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC)	Puja, path, aarti and bhog booking for both Dhams on its official website; e-donation	Prior registration with an Indian mobile number is required; slots open only in season
Shri Mahakaleshwar Mandir, Ujjain	Bhasma Aarti permission and other aarti bookings for attending in person	Permissions are in the devotee’s own name with photo ID; not a proxy puja
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Ayodhya	Free darshan and aarti passes for attending in person	The trust charges no fee for passes
A tirth purohit arranged by an organiser	Puja in your name at the tirtha with sankalp, video and prasad; flexible dates and rituals	Should say clearly that it is not the temple’s own service

Both routes are valid. A temple’s own service is performed by its priests within its rules. A tirth purohit offers more flexibility: a chosen date, a longer ritual, a live call, rites such as pind daan or asthi visarjan that temples do not offer online, and help in your language. What matters is honesty about which one you are booking.

How to avoid online puja and darshan scams

In April 2025 the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs warned pilgrims about fake websites, social media pages, WhatsApp accounts and paid search ads offering helicopter tickets, hotels and yatra packages. The same tricks are used for pujas. Protect yourself:

• Type official addresses yourself, such as shrikashivishwanath.org, badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in, shrimahakaleshwar.com and srjbtkshetra.org, instead of clicking sponsored results.
• Be suspicious of “VIP” or “guaranteed” offers for things temples issue only in your own name, such as Bhasma Aarti seats or Ram Mandir passes.
• Ask who performs the puja and where. A real service names the priest and the place.
• Get a written confirmation before paying, and pay to a named business account.
• If you are cheated, call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in as soon as possible.

Which pujas can be done online?

Puja	Where it is traditionally done	Commonly chosen for
Rudrabhishek	Kashi, Kedarnath, Ujjain	Health, peace at home, Shravan and Mondays
Mahamrityunjaya jaap	Kashi, Ujjain	Serious illness, surgery, long life
Pind daan and tarpan	Gaya, Haridwar, Prayagraj	Death anniversary, Pitru Paksha, Amavasya
Asthi visarjan	Haridwar, Prayagraj, Kashi	After a death, when the family cannot travel
Ganga puja and deep-daan	Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar	Birthdays, anniversaries, remembrance
Navagraha shanti, Kaal Sarp shanti	Ujjain, Trimbakeshwar and other tirthas	When advised by an astrologer
Satyanarayan katha	Any tirtha	Purnima, a new home or job, thanksgiving

What we arrange

We arrange pujas through tirth purohits we work with regularly, with a written sankalp confirmation, a live link or video, and prasad by courier. We say clearly that we are a Dehradun yatra organiser, not any temple’s management. Popular choices include Kashi Vishwanath Rudrabhishek, Kedarnath Rudrabhishek, Gaya Pind Daan and Tarpan and Haridwar Asthi Visarjan and Pind Daan. See every option on our online puja page, or read it in Hindi on our online puja Hindi page. Our Gaya pind daan guide explains the shraddh rite in detail. To book, use the enquiry form on this page or call/WhatsApp us (numbers on our Contact page).

Frequently asked questions

Is an online puja as valid as being there in person?

Tradition has always allowed a priest to perform a puja on a devotee’s behalf, with the sankalp taken in that devotee’s name; this is how families far from a tirtha have offered worship for generations. What matters is a correct sankalp, a properly performed ritual and your own faith. Many devotees light a diya at home and pray at the same time.

What details do I need to give for an online puja?

Give the full names of everyone the puja is for, your gotra, the intention, and for ancestral rites the names of the departed with their relation to you. Add your WhatsApp number and postal address for the video and prasad. Date of birth or nakshatra is needed only if the puja was advised for an astrological reason.

Which gotra is used if I do not know mine?

If the family gotra cannot be traced through elders, a family priest or the tirth purohit’s records, priests traditionally use the Kashyap gotra, since all beings are held to descend from Rishi Kashyap. Tell the priest you do not know it, and the sankalp is taken in this form without any loss to the puja.

Can NRIs book an online puja and receive prasad abroad?

Yes. NRIs can book, give their details and watch live or receive the recording. Dry prasad can usually be sent abroad by international courier, which is normally charged extra. Many countries do not accept liquids such as Ganga jal by post, and customs rules vary, so parcels abroad generally carry dry items only.

Can I watch a puja from inside Kashi Vishwanath or Kedarnath on video?

Not from inside the sanctum in most cases. Kashi Vishwanath bans phones and all gadgets inside its premises. Honest priests film the puja at their puja place or a nearby shrine and then offer your sankalp at darshan inside without a camera. Some official temple services offer their own video options; check the temple’s site.

How do I know an online puja website is genuine?

Type official temple addresses yourself rather than clicking ads, get a written confirmation naming the priest, place and date before paying, and pay to a named business account. Be wary of anyone selling guaranteed seats for things temples issue only in your own name. Report fraud on the helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.

Can pind daan or asthi visarjan be done online?

Yes. A purohit at Gaya, Haridwar or Prayagraj can perform tarpan and pind daan in your name, and for asthi visarjan a family member in India can hand over the ashes or courier them to the purohit. Some Gaya pandas object to online pind daan on religious grounds, so decide according to your family’s view.

What happens if the temple is closed on my puja date?

Himalayan Dhams such as Kedarnath and Badrinath close in winter, and their worship moves to winter seats at Ukhimath and Jyotirmath. Ask before booking where the puja will be done in that season. A reliable organiser should reschedule or refund if a puja cannot be performed because of a closure or weather.