Pujari is a designation given to a Hindu temple priest who performs pūja. The word comes from the Sanskrit word "पूजा" meaning worship.

In Hinduism worshippers can worship their personal deities externally (bahya) with specific prayers and offerings or internally (antah) with visualization. Spiritually, the mental worship (manasa puja) is considered more effective. A devotee may perform the external worship either directly without any intermediary or indirectly with the help of a trained priest.