Recently saw a Ādiśaiva Brāhmaṇa Arcaka of Saiddhāntika Sampradāya perform Pañcāvaraṇa Ātmārtha Pūjā in a corner before getting ready to join the rotation for Parārtha Kāmya Arcana. Was very happy to see this. People of course don’t care. They just see the deity & move on.+++
+++ They don’t get that it is such personal discipline that helps safeguard the Deity’s continued presence from the numberless blunders we all unwittingly commit at the temple.+++
+++I must mention that this shrine is not a purely Āgamika temple & has a mixed priesthood. The Ādiśaivas share adhikāra over the Nitya & Kāmya Arcanas but retain exclusive competency over Saiddhāntika Homas, which others cannot do.+++
+++Perhaps, this model can be exported to many temples with no proper Sampradāya. Retain the original priesthood & allow sharing of some competencies between the 2 priesthoods. But have properly qualified Arcakas such as Ādiśaivas be in charge of more advanced rites.+++
+++ The Temple can then benefit from the structured & refined Āgama praxis & the ritual power it creates, while retaining the older priesthood, so as to maintain a sense of continuity & goodwill among local patrons.//End
*saw an
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