Hindu priest

A Hindu priest may refer to either of the following:

• an archaka conducting ritual worship at a Hindu temple,
• a Vedic purohita.

Traditionally, priests have come from the Brahmin class, although in various parts of India, people from other communities (such as Lingayats in parts of Karnataka) have performed the function. In modern times, archakas have been recruited from various communities with lesser regard to caste.