BENGALURU: Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi may be difficult for several people in Bengaluru, considering their hectic work lives. And bringing relief to these people is city-based startup Puja N Pujari. The company, which came into being in October 2017, handles all kinds of puja ceremonies, and provides performers and various commodities needed. With experienced and certified pujaris or purohits, Puja N Pujari gives customers the option to choose the right performer for them based on language and budget preferences.
Temple services is another unique facility offered by the startup, where a person can book pujas at various temples through the website.
The founders are Dr Mahesh Kottapalli (MD), an infectious disease specialist residing in Texas, USA; and CEO Kalpaja Dalavoi Adhikesavulu, the current managing director of Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences. Apart from products and purohits, the company also offers online astrological services. The option of talking to an astrologer in the language of your choice is also available.
This festival season, the online portal has come to the rescue of those wanting to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesha, by distributing specially-designed hampers. “We provide all kinds of puja commodities through our online portal in a customised format. So far, our Ganapathi Puja box received great reviews from users. Many devotees have joined hands in making the festival more eco-friendly by purchasing our kits,” says Adhikesavulu.
The hamper includes worship essentials such as flowers, a prayer book, incense sticks and so on. Currently, over 2,000 kits have been sold within just a week’s time. Adding an eco-friendly Ganesha idol in the kit, Adhikesavulu explains that the idols are made of clay. The idols are also painted using natural colours. While the use of PoP has been limited in other states, such as Maharashtra and Goa, Adhikesavulu calls this effort a means of spreading awareness in Bengaluru as well.
“PoP idols are major water pollutants. So this is a significant step towards making festivals eco-friendly,” she explains. After successful implementation of its units at Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Texas, the company is now trying to extend its services to more parts of India and abroad.