Post by jash on Mar 11, 2013 21:53:48 GMT
I thought I’d share my latest adventure with you, since I haven’t posted much about Hinduism lately!
On mothering Sunday, my family and I visited the largest Hindu temple in Europe. It was a completely beautiful building, inside and out writhing statues danced through flowering vines and geometric shapes, carved into soft white stone. My father commented that while the walls were alive with people and patterns, it didn’t look crowded or calamitous. It was harmonious and calming to the eye.
My family have never been very religious, though my mother is Hindu. So I was delighted that my family were positive about my suggestion to visit the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, half an hour’s drive away in London. When I suggested going there, my little sister asked me “Are you a Hindu?” I waffled and said I was thinking about it. She had some questions about Hinduism that I tried my best to answer, and I think it made sense to her. She was excited to go to the temple, because it meant that she got to dress in a colourful sari. She and mum both wore saris and dad and I both wore kurta, Indian suits.
The people at the temple were warm and welcoming. A gentleman who looked like a temple official asked us where we had come from, and if we had been here before. I said that I had previously come here on a school trip, but it was a long time ago. He directed my father and I to the Maha-Mandap, the inner sanctum where murtis, lifelike statues of the gods and avatars were. I went around the sanctum, devoting prayers to the gods. There were people praying with their hands together, silently chanting mantras, and some choosing to pray by lying on the ground face down. There was also an area where people could sit cross legged and pray. I looked at all the murtis and was overwhelmed by the different gods, all embodying different virtues, different paths of life. There were the familiar gods, Shiva and Vishnu, Parvati, Ganesh, Hanuman. There were also statues of enlightened gurus who were manifestations of God.
I took part in the ritual of puja, the cleaning of a murti and offering of food. There was a queue to wash a giant shiva linga with holy milk. Religious music was playing in the background, though otherwise it was silent. Plates of sweets had been offered to Shiva, and I poured milk over the murti before going back down to the main entrance. I met the official who had directed me to the sanctum, and he asked me how I found it. I said it was great, and we both smiled. He seemed to notice a change in me, I felt overawed and uplifted by the rituals and prayers.
The areas of worship were segregated between the sexes. At the time I felt that this was meaningful. In normal everyday life you see men and women sharing the same space, and this seems normal. But when you are around only people of the same gender, it changes the mood; you feel that something important and mysterious is happening.
My sister and mother were worshipping in another part of the mandir, participating in a special mother’s day service exclusively for women. They also did puja with a beetle nut. We then all visited the Understanding Hinduism exhibition, in another room of the temple. It emphasised Hinduism’s universalism, and tolerance of different paths, features that had attracted me to Hinduism. It also elaborated on stories of people I had read about in the Upanishads, like Nachiketa. It was eery seeing him come to life in a diamara, waiting at the house of Death. I also learnt about how the Mandir was made; the bricks and parts were made in India, while it was constructed in London.
Afterwards, I went to the gift shop and bought two murtis; one was a small golden statue of Ganesh, and the other was a Shiva linga. The Shiva linga, a cylindrical black stone representing Shiva, is said to have mysterious power, and emphasises the incomprehensibility and majesty of God. I also bought a mala, a necklace of prayer beads that numbered 108, an important number in Hinduism, and the number of Upanishads.
All in all, I had a great time at the mandir. It helped me to connect more with Hinduism, and understand the practice of Hinduism rather than the theory. And now I’ve started doing ritual puja at home every day. My family has also come to terms with my Hinduism, and are accepting of it.
I hope you enjoyed this story. Any questions or comments are welcome
Peace and happiness,
Jash
On mothering Sunday, my family and I visited the largest Hindu temple in Europe. It was a completely beautiful building, inside and out writhing statues danced through flowering vines and geometric shapes, carved into soft white stone. My father commented that while the walls were alive with people and patterns, it didn’t look crowded or calamitous. It was harmonious and calming to the eye.
My family have never been very religious, though my mother is Hindu. So I was delighted that my family were positive about my suggestion to visit the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, half an hour’s drive away in London. When I suggested going there, my little sister asked me “Are you a Hindu?” I waffled and said I was thinking about it. She had some questions about Hinduism that I tried my best to answer, and I think it made sense to her. She was excited to go to the temple, because it meant that she got to dress in a colourful sari. She and mum both wore saris and dad and I both wore kurta, Indian suits.
The people at the temple were warm and welcoming. A gentleman who looked like a temple official asked us where we had come from, and if we had been here before. I said that I had previously come here on a school trip, but it was a long time ago. He directed my father and I to the Maha-Mandap, the inner sanctum where murtis, lifelike statues of the gods and avatars were. I went around the sanctum, devoting prayers to the gods. There were people praying with their hands together, silently chanting mantras, and some choosing to pray by lying on the ground face down. There was also an area where people could sit cross legged and pray. I looked at all the murtis and was overwhelmed by the different gods, all embodying different virtues, different paths of life. There were the familiar gods, Shiva and Vishnu, Parvati, Ganesh, Hanuman. There were also statues of enlightened gurus who were manifestations of God.
I took part in the ritual of puja, the cleaning of a murti and offering of food. There was a queue to wash a giant shiva linga with holy milk. Religious music was playing in the background, though otherwise it was silent. Plates of sweets had been offered to Shiva, and I poured milk over the murti before going back down to the main entrance. I met the official who had directed me to the sanctum, and he asked me how I found it. I said it was great, and we both smiled. He seemed to notice a change in me, I felt overawed and uplifted by the rituals and prayers.
The areas of worship were segregated between the sexes. At the time I felt that this was meaningful. In normal everyday life you see men and women sharing the same space, and this seems normal. But when you are around only people of the same gender, it changes the mood; you feel that something important and mysterious is happening.
My sister and mother were worshipping in another part of the mandir, participating in a special mother’s day service exclusively for women. They also did puja with a beetle nut. We then all visited the Understanding Hinduism exhibition, in another room of the temple. It emphasised Hinduism’s universalism, and tolerance of different paths, features that had attracted me to Hinduism. It also elaborated on stories of people I had read about in the Upanishads, like Nachiketa. It was eery seeing him come to life in a diamara, waiting at the house of Death. I also learnt about how the Mandir was made; the bricks and parts were made in India, while it was constructed in London.
Afterwards, I went to the gift shop and bought two murtis; one was a small golden statue of Ganesh, and the other was a Shiva linga. The Shiva linga, a cylindrical black stone representing Shiva, is said to have mysterious power, and emphasises the incomprehensibility and majesty of God. I also bought a mala, a necklace of prayer beads that numbered 108, an important number in Hinduism, and the number of Upanishads.
All in all, I had a great time at the mandir. It helped me to connect more with Hinduism, and understand the practice of Hinduism rather than the theory. And now I’ve started doing ritual puja at home every day. My family has also come to terms with my Hinduism, and are accepting of it.
I hope you enjoyed this story. Any questions or comments are welcome
Peace and happiness,
Jash
