Buy a car, get the puja done for free!

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New Delhi, Jan 22 : Buying a new car? What about going to a dealer who along with freebies, offers a free puja for the car with a priest in attendance?

As Indian priests hop from household to household, performing pujas in the capital, they now have a new job opening, performing a quick puja for the customers at showrooms before they drive away with the four-wheeler. Aware of the fact that in a country like India, where most of the Hindu acts are followed by a mark of religiosity, many dealers have now started to provide the grand-old service of performing customary rituals and ceremonies, right at the car showrooms.

Raman Gupta, manager in a leading IT company, recently bought a new Maruti from a car dealer in the capital. Like many middle-class Indians, he too, believes in starting any new work after performing a few rituals. Just as he was about to leave for a mandir, a person from the showroom approached him and introduced himself as Pandit Radhamohan Tyagi, a priest employed by the outlet manager for carrying out the “Customary rituals and ceremony,” for the occasion.

“We are here for your convenience. Don’t worry I will take care of your feelings,” remarked the priest. In just 15 minutes, he along with his disciple performed all the rituals from the coconut breaking and ‘swastik’ smearing to the ‘aarti’. “I am really delighted at the service being offered at no extra cost," said Gupta's wife.

India is one of the world's fastest growing car markets, with sales growing at the rate of 15% a year, according to Frost & Sullivan, a consultancy firm.