An Indian woman living in the US has revealed the high costs associated with hiring Hindu priests for religious ceremonies. A viral video details that a simple Satyanarayan Puja can cost between $300-$350, sparking an online discussion about the fees in relation to American living expenses and how priests arrive on R-1 visas.
An Indian woman living in the US has sparked a discussion online after sharing how much Hindu priests charge for conducting religious ceremonies in America. US-based content producer Sarika Yadav stated in an Instagram video that she regularly gets enquiries concerning the salaries of "Pandit ji" in the US and the permits they need to relocate there. She remarked, "You'll be shocked to learn how much a Pandit ji charges for a small puja in America."
Yadav shared that a simple Satyanarayan Puja conducted at a family’s home can cost between $300 and $350 ( ₹28,000 to ₹33,000), even when only immediate family members are present. According to her, temples frequently impose an additional cost of between $100 and $150 (about ₹10,000 to ₹15,000). In such situations, she continued, devotees might either pay the pandit ji to provide the necessary materials or arrange the ritual objects themselves.
Yadav also mentioned in the video that priests are in great demand for events like house-warming ceremonies, Dhanteras, and the Hindu month of Sawan. She said that there are additional fees associated with blessing ceremonies for recently acquired cars.
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Watch Viral Video
Yadav went on to describe how priests go to the US, stating that many of them do so using an R-1 visa, which is intended for religious workers. According to her, getting the visa requires completing certain prerequisites and receiving religious instruction before moving to the nation.
Social Media Reacts
Online responses to the post were divided; some people contended that the numbers should be interpreted in terms of American living expenses rather than Indian rupees.
One user wrote, “$400 is not a big amount for a pooja. They have to live too, let’s not expect minimum wage for them.”
“This is totally WRONG to compare income with Indian rupees, Panditji has to pay all the bills that everyone pays , I have no idea why people have this notion,” commented another.
“Engineering chhodni pdegi,” jokingly wrote another.
