CHENNAI: His dream was simple. He wanted to set up a one-stop shop for all pooja needs on the world wide web. Twenty eight-year-old Mahesh, a resident of Nesapakkam is not your regular vadhyar. He is a risk-taker, has sharp business acumen and a problem solver. “I am a pujari (priest) by profession. About six months ago, I realised that almost everything is sold online, except for spiritual items. When you want to perform a ritual, you have to visit a number of shops to purchase different items. Be it fruits, turmeric, kumkum, bangles or blouse pieces. At least 30 shops need to be visited to gather all the items in good quality. I realised that embarking on such an endeavour would save a lot of time for people and enable me to make a business out of what I am best at. This is how Pavithram Traders was born,” says Mahesh.
Spiritual aggregator
Mahesh’s venture also works as an aggregator for people who require a pujari to perform rituals. After receiving an order with the customer’s name, number, date, time, place and the type of pooja required, Mahesh arranges for a pujari to visit their place at the appointed date and time. The functions are divided based on a number of categories. Be it house warming ceremonies, death anniversaries, naming ceremonies or upanayanams — he has services available for all. The price of the products required for the pooja and their quantities are listed beneath each ceremony, followed by a paragraph about the purpose and benefits of performing the ritual. The pooja items can also be purchased separately without selecting a ritual. The products are neatly packed in a cardboard box with slots inside to accommodate all the products. “We only sell products that have a long shelf life. Fruits and banana leaves aren’t sold on our website as they may get spoilt or messy before they reach the customer. The products required for a specific pooja, but, not sold on our website are also mentioned in the ‘List of Products’ tab. This way, the customer can purchase them by themselves. In case they don’t know where to purchase the unavailable products from, we also guide them to suitable shops,” shares Mahesh.
Doubts and solutions
Being a first-generation spiritual entrepreneur, while Mahesh received support from friends and family, he became unsure of the website’s sustainability. “Such sites don’t receive regular viewership, so I have received only six or seven orders so far. I was hounded by a lot of demotivating thoughts. Unlike Amazon, my website is exclusively for pooja items. Would it reach enough people? Would people prioritise it, as it isn’t a daily requirement? Would I get a steady income? Have I taken too much risk? What will I do when it isn’t pooja season or there are no functions coming up? Such questions kept nagging me,” he shares.But instead of dwelling on the worries, Mahesh chose to come up with a workable plan to increase the website’s viewership. “I believe in smart work. I have set up a spiritual calendar on my website. It lists all the important pooja dates. Even if customers don’t open my site for products, they have to open it to view the calendar and stay abreast of important events,” he says.
With the backing of his friends and having the right network to contact for different requirements, Mahesh was able to acquire products at low cost. “I assign my fellow pujaris to functions based on their qualifications. I have a friend who runs a store in Adambakkam that sells pooja items. We trust each other as we have a strong bond. I purchase the required products from him when I receive an order and sell them on my website at the same rate. I also accept bulk orders and ensure that the products reach the customer within 24 hours of ordering. All my products are natural and untainted by artificial agents. I wish to have a physical store someday, where I can directly supply the products from,” he says.
Transactions can be made through Paytm or cash on delivery services, as enabling credit card transactions is still a work in progress. The pages are secure and protected from any virus. Mahesh has ensured that the procedures are short and with minimum redirects. This saves time for the customer. “I rely on satisfied customers and recommendations through word of mouth. I have hung posters outside temples, advertised in local newspapers and even set up my stall during Navratri celebrations. But, I wasn’t satisfied with the response I received,” he says.
Going international
Mahesh hopes to begin catering to marriages soon. “A wedding can cost anywhere up to `20 lakh. My package will include the marriage hall, make-up artists, flower decorations, cameramen and pooja requirements, with the total price within `10 lakhs,” he shares.Mahesh aims to enable tracking facilities for the customer to keep track of their purchases. He also hopes to ship internationally. “People in foreign countries are unable to perform rituals, as they neither have places that sell the required products there nor qualified pujaris. I am working towards facilitating online video calls on my website, so that customers can watch the rituals happening in their hometown through their laptops or phones,” he says.
Streamlined process
After receiving an order with the customer’s details and the type of pooja required, Mahesh arranges for a pujari to visit their place