Kolkata Purohits

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Hi

A friend of mine wants to get married in Kolkata next year. [This is probably an unusual request] but does anyone know of any reliable Bengali Purohits which either you or your family have used before and someone who would carry out the ceremony at the chosen venue.

I know temples have purohits but I think they only carry out ceremonies in their own temples. Need some local help. She will need some contact info if possible.

kausiks

Yes, getting a reliable purohit should not be difficult. Not all purohits are associated with temples. Purohits are basically brahmins - and they can conduct pujas and religious cum social ceremones like marriages, annoprashan (rice eating ceremony of a child), etc. All marriages are conducted by purohits - so you should easily find one.

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Hi Kausiks,

Thank you for your reply. I am pleased to hear that reliable bona fide purohits are easy to find.

erm.....do you know any? If so could you or anyone else provide me with names [with their permission off course]. They can perhaps email me or I can email them. She will need a Bengali purohit. Apparently ceremonies differ slightly according to the state the person belongs to??

kausiks

I doubt how many purohits would be available for communication through e-mail!! We have a family purohit, but I have not met him for quite some time. If I meet him, I will definitely ask if he is interested...

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Thank you Kausiks that would be great.

I was told that some of the purohits also have professional jobs, such as teacher, lawyer etc, and that their purohit duties have been passed down from father to son. That's why I thought they would have access to the net and have email addresses.

kausiks

What you have heard is correct. The basic criteria for being a purohit is to be a brahmin by birth. So theoretically any Brahmin who can conduct the rituals and knows the 'mantras' correctly can conduct such ceremonies. But those who are engaged in demanding professions rarely work as a purohit, though there may be exceptions. It is not a glorified profession.
By the way, when is your friend planning to get married?

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My friend is getting married in 2010. I understand that the pangikas for auspicious dates comes out in April sometime, so until that comes out the date is tentative.

Meanwhile we are hoping to gather together as much info as possible.

brishti

i am assuming either the bride or groom is a bangali.
does your friend not have family in kolkata rsc2 ?
generally, purohits are passed around in the family... so to say.

anyway - a visit to a kalibari in CCU in all probability may land you with a purohit.
during the wedding season all are quite busy, so arrangements have to made sometime before... preferably face to face.
IMO it really is not feasible, as with most other situations, to refer anybody to a stranger. nothing personal

as for customs differing from state to state etc. sure.
besides, in a wedding / or any other ceremony, it is desirable to have a purohit who speaks your language - as ceremonies are interactive.
hence it is easier to comprehend instructions in the mother tongue.



:brishti
purohits on the internet - now thats a cool business venture anybody ?

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Thank you Brishti. Clearly if a they had access to someone with a purohit they would not be asking for help.

But Kalibari is a good idea. I will pass it on to them.

Most people have mobiles these days- even purohits, I should think. Once contact had been made to a couple of purohits, then they would probably have met them face to face.

Over here when someone have had a great wedding and it has been conducted by a good priest who is kindly and approachable then people are very happy to recommend them.

I did not realise it would be difficult to get a few recommendation.Or that people would be reluctant to put forward a few names.

nayan

As Brishti and koushik has mentioned - Purohits are associated with ones family. The family purohit does all the family's pujas - weddings, house-warming, upanayan.

Usually one purohit will be associated with a few families in this way.

One does not "recommend" purohits to others, specially strangers on the net.

The kalibari is your best bet.

RSC2

That is fine. That is what should have been said in the first instance.

But why make fun of purohits having email addresses or make comments like 'if I come across my family purohit I will ask if he is interested' ? That part is sarcastic, unhelpful and not necessary.

Chimti kate kotha bhola ustaad upnara.

kausiks

RCS2, I think your last comment was totally uncalled for. Everybody has the right to express one's opinions - that is what they have been doing. And when I said in my earlier post that I would ask his permission before I recommend a purohit I know - that is what I meant without any kind of double meaning. I DO NOT refer anybody for anything without the consent of the person concerned. That implies for persons I know and those I do not know. Anyway, if you are still interested, I would definitely refer the purohit if he is interested.

Shoes1

Hi, does anyone know how easy it would be for 2 british citizens to get married in Kolkata, I believe you must be resident in India 30 days prior to your wedding so that anyone who wishes to may object and then it is a case of findind a priest and registering the marriage and maybe getting a lawyer to write up something, has anyone done this or tried to?

namaste_cat

You can start a new thread otherwise refer to one such as this thread esp post #4 by Delhiwalla for your answers:
Two foreigners want to marry in India. What is needed?
If you are not going to be living in India, honestly it's not worth the hassle.

If you want just a nice ceremony, that can be done easily without doing the whole 30-day notice and subsequent registration routine. My American husband & I had a Hindu wedding in Delhi, and could have registered it under the Hindu Marriage Act so that might not have been too complicated.

Anyway, since your're considering Special marriage Act, search on IM for other threads; the one I linked should give you lots of helpful information as well. Good luck, and happy marriage!

bubai_56

RSC2, You can find good purohits at the 'Mahamilan Math'. Their ashram is situated at Ashokgarh on Dunlop-Dakshineswar root. Sorry, I can't provide any other contact details of them.