FAITHTECH IS BRINGING RITUALS TO THE SCREEN

The deliverable, which is often a video recorded or live streamed with the devotee’s name, is tricky

- Shadma Shaikh

Manu Jain, co-founder of Vama (L) and Prashant Sachan, founder of Sri Mandir, which leads the market in terms of users currently.

In October, an Indian restaurant owner in England found himself embroiled in a court case with a competitor. While his lawyer handled a hearing featuring evidence recorded by an employee, the worried owner was on the phone with a holy man living in a small apartment in Ludhiana.

Acharya Ashok Shastri chanted for six hours straight while the legal proceedings played out thousands of miles away. Speaking to Mint, Shastri claimed that though the case remains unresolved, his client told him later that he felt steadier through the ordeal. “Nothing untoward happened. Couldn't have happened,” insists Shastri.

The pandit’s services are in high demand, not because of any advertising but thanks to referrals from such clients: “One satisfied client refers to thousands of others,” he says.

Shastri’s life sits at the intersection of two worlds. Born in Vrindavan and trained there in the traditions of scripture, he later completed an MBA. After a brief stint in accounting, he found purpose and a livelihood as a professional pandit. The 36-year-old Shastri knows the scriptures in and out but more importantly, he speaks the language of modern worship: via WhatsApp and short videos.

Shastri says he rarely opens his office in Ludhiana these days—it’s all work from home, mostly on the phone. Clients from England, Australia and the US text and video call to request his services, and he sometimes shares video clips with them of rituals performed on their behalf.

Like Shastri, many Hindu priests today perform rituals and share videos with worried clients within India and without.