Pandit Ji Their primary responsibility is to conduct daily puja at the temple. During Hindu festivals, traditional events such as weddings, the sacred thread ceremony, performance of last rites and special deity ceremonies, priests are called upon to conduct puja's either at the temple or at the location of the event. In order to perform these puja's, the priests are required to have prior skills and knowledge. To be a qualified priest, they must know the required chants (mantras and strotas) fluently in Sanskrit and be familiar with the materials required to perform the puja for various ceremonies and rituals.Pandits from an early age were trained to memorize hymns in order to chant them during rituals and ceremonies without aid. Receiving assistance to remember hymns and chants was frowned upon, and were only expected to recite the hymns through memory.