Online Puja from Abroad: What Tradition Says About Remote Sankalp

For many Hindu families living in the USA, Canada, UK and elsewhere, one sincere question comes up before booking a puja in India: "If I'm not physically present, will the puja really count?"

It's a fair question, and a good one. Faith deserves honesty. In this article we look at how the Hindu tradition has always understood worship performed on someone's behalf, the central role of the sankalp, what changes and what doesn't in the age of video calls, and how you can take part in a remote puja with sincerity and devotion.

The Heart of Every Puja: The Sankalp

Every traditional Hindu ritual begins with a sankalp, a formal declaration of intention. Holding water, rice and a flower, the priest recites:

• Time and place: the yuga, samvat, month, tithi, and the sacred place where the ritual is being performed
• Who it is for: the name and gotra of the person (the yajman)
• Why: the intention or purpose of the ritual

The sankalp is what connects the ritual to the devotee. When a priest performs a puja at Nalkheda with your name, gotra and intention in the sankalp, the ritual is dedicated to you, wherever you are.

Read more: What Is Sankalp? Why Your Name, Gotra and Intention Matter

Worship on Someone's Behalf: An Old Tradition

Rituals performed for a person who is not physically present are not a modern invention. They have been part of Hindu practice for a very long time:

• Tirtha purohits: at pilgrimage places such as Kashi, Gaya, Haridwar and Pushkar, family priests have long performed rituals on behalf of families who could not travel, and many still keep records of families' lineages over generations.
• Rituals for family members: parents routinely have pujas performed for their children, and children for their parents, with the family member's name and gotra in the sankalp.
• Temple sevas and archanas: devotees across India book an archana or abhishek at a temple in the name of a relative living far away.
• The priest as pratinidhi: in the tradition, the priest may act as a pratinidhi (representative), performing the ritual on behalf of the yajman.

What matters is the correctness of the ritual, the sincerity of the sankalp, and the faith of the devotee, not the number of kilometres between them.

What Technology Changes, and What It Doesn't

Technology has not changed the ritual. It has changed how easily you can stay connected to it:

A live video call is not required for a puja to be valid. It simply lets you witness and pray along, which many families find deeply meaningful.

Read more: Joining a Havan by Live Video: How Remote Participation Works

How to Take Part Sincerely from Home

Your participation, even from afar, is part of the ritual's spirit. Many devotees follow these simple practices:

1. Share accurate sankalp details: your full name, gotra (if known), family members and a clear intention.
2. Prepare yourself on the day: bathe, wear clean clothes (yellow for Maa Baglamukhi) and keep a sattvik diet.
3. Sit at your home mandir at the time of the ritual, or at a convenient time the same day, if the timing falls at night.
4. Light a diya and incense, and offer a flower.
5. Pray along: chant the Goddess's name, the Baglamukhi Chalisa, or simply sit in quiet prayer.
6. Join by video call where arranged, or watch the photos or video later with your family.
7. Continue any practice the Acharya suggests after the ritual.

Honest Answers to Common Doubts

"Is it the same as being there in person?" Visiting a sacred place in person is a special experience, and if you can travel to Nalkheda, it is wonderful to do so. But tradition has always accepted rituals performed on a devotee's behalf through the sankalp. Distance does not make your prayer less sincere.

"How do I know the puja was really done?" This is a valid concern, because unfortunately not every online service is genuine. Choose an Acharya you can speak to personally, with a real, verifiable location, who explains the dakshina clearly, and who can share photos, video or a live call where arranged.

"Will the puja guarantee a result?" No genuine Acharya should promise that. A puja is an act of faith and devotion, performed seeking the Divine's blessings. It is not a transaction with a guaranteed outcome.

Read more: Questions to Ask Before Booking Any Puja: A Transparency Checklist · Why We Never Promise Guaranteed Results

Having a Remote Puja Performed at Nalkheda

At Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda, one of India's most revered Baglamukhi shrines, Acharya Ashish Sharma performs traditional Maa Baglamukhi Puja, Havan and Special Anushthan for devotees across India and abroad:

1. Free consultation by phone or online, arranged around your time zone
2. Guidance on which ritual, if any, is appropriate for your situation
3. Sankalp with your name, gotra and intention
4. Ritual at Nalkheda on an auspicious muhurat
5. Updates by video call, photos or video, where arranged

International payment by PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay, bank transfer or UPI.

Read more: How to Book a Puja in India from the USA, Canada or UK

Understanding the Yajman and the Pratinidhi

Two traditional roles help explain remote worship:

In tradition, the yajman's intention and faith are carried by the sankalp, while the Acharya ensures the correctness of the ritual. Together, they make the worship complete.

A Short Prayer to Say at Home During a Remote Puja

You don't need Sanskrit to take part. Many devotees say a simple prayer in their own words at the time of the ritual, for example:

"Maa Baglamukhi, today a puja is being offered at Your sacred temple in Nalkheda in our names. Please accept our devotion from here. Bless our family with peace, steadiness and clarity, and forgive any mistakes we make. Jai Maa Baglamukhi."

Light a diya, offer a flower, and sit quietly for a few minutes afterwards.

When You Can Visit in Person

A remote puja is complete in itself, but visiting a sacred place in person has its own blessings. Many NRI families do both: they have pujas performed remotely on important dates through the year, and they visit Nalkheda during an India trip for darshan and a puja with the whole family. If you're planning a visit, let us know in advance so the ritual can be arranged on your travel dates.

Read more: Ujjain–Nalkheda Pilgrimage: Mahakal to Maa Baglamukhi in 2–3 Days · How to Reach Nalkheda

Common Situations Where Families Choose Remote Puja

How to Explain Remote Puja to Elders and Children

To elders who may doubt it: remind them of the family purohit at a tirtha who performed rituals and kept records for families who couldn't travel. The principle is the same; only the communication is faster.

To children: keep it simple: "Today, a priest at a very old temple in India is saying our names and praying for our family. Let's light our diya and pray too." Let them offer a flower during the ritual.

Three Example Situations (Illustrative)

1. Grandparents in Indore, grandchildren in Toronto. The family wants a puja on the grandfather's 75th birthday. The grandparents attend in person at Nalkheda; the family in Toronto joins by video call, and everyone's names are in the sankalp.

2. A couple in London who can't travel during Navratri. They have a Maa Baglamukhi Havan performed on Ashtami in their names and join at their afternoon time, lighting a diya at their home mandir.

3. A young professional in Dallas, doubtful at first. He wonders whether a remote puja "counts". After the consultation explains sankalp and pratinidhi worship, he chooses a simple puja and a home practice, and watches the photos afterwards with his parents on a call.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Thinking it "doesn't count" unless you watch live. The sankalp is what matters.
2. Doing nothing at home. A diya and a prayer make you a participant, not a spectator.
3. Choosing a service you can't speak to
4. Giving incomplete names for the sankalp
5. Expecting guaranteed outcomes. Puja is faith, not a transaction.

Remote Puja Checklist

About Acharya Ashish Sharma

Acharya Ashish Sharma has served in the tradition of Maa Baglamukhi for more than 25 years. He is Sanskrit-trained and connected with this tradition since birth, and his office is near Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda. He performs traditional Maa Baglamukhi Puja, Havan and Special Anushthan, and offers personal spiritual guidance according to each devotee's situation, for families in India and around the world.