A pūjari is the designation given to a Hindu temple priest entrusted with the performance of pūja, the ritual worship offered to deities enshrined in a temple. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word pūjā (पूजा), meaning worship or reverence.
The duties of a pūjari typically centre on conducting the daily ceremonial routine of a temple. This includes the offering of pūjā to the presiding deity and the performance of aarti, in which a lit lamp is waved before the deity as part of devotional observance. Depending on the temple and tradition, the pūjari may also officiate at festivals and at rites of passage observed by devotees.
Within Hindu tradition, pūjaris are mainly drawn from the Brahmin varna, in keeping with long-standing conventions associating priestly functions with this community. The role is therefore both a ritual office and a hereditary or community-linked vocation in many regions.