Purohit
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Purohit (Devanagari: पुरोहित) means a priest exclusively for royal family or a king. He is the authorised persons to carry out rituals for the royal family. The word Purohit also denotes for Hindu.
[edit] See also
Along with the other surnames like Dixit, Goswami etc, Purohit is also used as a surname among the Brahmins. Purohits are not limited to a single region but can be found in every corner of India. They are considered as the oldest brahmins who used to give advise to Kings in any kingdom. They were very wise and no kings used to attack without the advise of Purohits. No ritual could be performed without them. In the present time also, most Pandits (by profession) are Purohits.
Generally Pandits and Purohits are considered as a synonymous to each other which is not true in the present scenario.
[edit] References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola