In vedic pooja, it is believed that the Agni Devata is the go-between God and Man. So
everything is offered to the Agni or the Priest doing the ceremony. Man could not approach the
gods with offerings. What was needed was an divine assurance that God accepted offerings
directly from His devotees. Sri Krishna in the Gita gives this assurance “When a pure-hearted
devotee offers with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that lovingly.” This divine
promise made the fire ritual unnecessary. Every man became a priest of God. This led to worship
of an image of the God and is called the tantric pooja.
