Bhajan – while Arti is performed, everyone sings hymns called bhajans. Some people play instruments like triangles, tambourines and bells. Others just clap along. Parsad is distributed during the bhajans. Parsad is food blessed by the Gods. This food is considered ‘pure’. While worship is being done in the Mandir, a dot or stripe of powder is given to worshippers on their forehead. This is called Tilak, which indicates that the person has been to worship.
The atmosphere in a Mandir is very important as it allows people to concentrate. By having other people around them it enables them to have no distractions and if everyone’s doing it, you feel more focused whilst worshipping. Also by addition of Incense and the priest reading scriptures it can be a very calming atmosphere and you can take on mediation like state. All of this also helps the worshipper to feel spiritually closer to the Gods as they are surrounded by worship and by the Gods.
Worshippers often give offerings to the Gods as a small token. They believe this will give them blessing from the Gods. Examples of offerings could include flowers and fruit. The flower, this is picked with five fingers and is placed at the deities’ feet. The five fingers represent the five senses. This signifies the ridding of desires. Fruit offering also signifies the ridding of desires. The outer skin of a coconut represents the physical body, where as the core represents desires.
Darshan is received by Hindus, usually before they go to work/in the morning. This consists of: making small offerings of nuts, fruit, flowers etc to the deities/shrine (at home or at a Mandir). Eating Parsad and general worship such as Puja is performed. Hindus believe that just being in the presence of the deities is a blessing. Therefore they receive their blessing in the morning for that coming day.
Varna – ashrama – dharma means: caste- stages of life – religious duty. Worshippers gain kharma whilst performing their religious duty (praying etc) and therefore increase their chance of going into a higher caste in their next life and it is their actions in this life that effect what happens to them in the next. This is what every Hindu should fulfil as each on in turn affects the other and in turn affects their life and ultimately their journey to Moksha.
Bhakti is a medative prayer; it consists of a worshipper going into a deep state of meditation, allowing them to be spiritually awake. This benefits the worshipper because it relaxes their mind and enables them to go into a state of deep concentration. It helps them to temporarily forget problems of the outside world.
Social Importance.
Congregational worship is very important to Hinduism as it reinforces religious and cultural beliefs. This is important as many people loose sight of their culture, especially when they are not visiting the Mandir. They may pray everyday but forget what is really all about. The Mandir helps them to remember the real reasons for their worship. By being together with people it reinforces your sense of belonging and in turn enforces your faith. Being amongst others the same as you helps you feel like part of a community so you do not loose faith. In the Mandir youth clubs are ran on usually a weekly basis. This allows teenagers to go to a Mandir and socialize with other young Hindus. This then helps the person see that the Mandir can be fun and that other people are going with them. Educational classes also help people to make friends and feel accepted. However there are also things for older generations to go to. Senior citizens luncheon clubs are ran, allowing older Hindus to congregate and socialize too. This is important as it makes them feel valued as Hindus and that they are just as a part of the Hindu community as any other Hindu, young or old.
By running things such as youth clubs and Senior Citizen Luncheons the Mandir promotes co-existence and unity, as all of the people who go to the Mandir come from different backgrounds. Some may have a wealthy family while others may not be as well off. Some live with their parents whilst other may be living with their aunts and uncles. The point is that no matter what your background is you’re always welcome at the Mandir and nobody will judge you, as everyone is equal. Therefore creating a banner of acceptance that some people may not receive in the outside world. This uniting Hindu groups young and old and by making Hindus feel they are safe and part of something, their faith is re-enforced.
The Mandir is not just a place of worship. It is a social centre as well. As mentioned earlier, youth clubs, Senior Citizen luncheons, language classes, speeches by priests all act as a social centre, a place where all Hindus can meet and just socialize. A Mandir is not just used for prayer, contrary to popular belief. As Hinduism is a minority religion in the UK other social centres cannot really be built always. So the Mandir provides a perfect place to meet with other Hindus, as they will all go there anyway. Games nights are done and old friends can catch up. This all provides a focal point in the Hindu community. By having a focal point Hindus know there is a place to go if they wish to be with others like them, with no hassle of arrange where to meet as it is all in one place. This then reinforcing belief. It also shows to Hindus that they are getting something back from the Mandir, as they pray there regularly. Dance and music classes provide a chance to learn something new.
Also by acting as a place of hospitality (providing fro the needy) it enables Hindus to perform their varna-ashrama-dharma. This is important because it is a Hindu’s main aim to fulfil their dharma, which will give them good kharma and in turn help them on their journey to Moksha. This would encourage Hindus to go to the Mandir often, as they want to fulfil their varna-ashrama-dharma and make it to Moksha. As the actions of this life affect your next life, helping the needy will not only increase your chance of going up a caste, but it would provide valuable help for those less fortunate than yourself. This also teaching you to value what you have in life, as there are always those less fortunate.
Educational Importance
The Mandir is also a place of educational importance. It is important for younger generations to learn about Brahman and Hinduism. Youngsters can be taught by a priest and by elders about God and Hinduism. This is vital as it keeps the religion going. It is also important that young Hindus understand their culture, religion and heritage. It is important that Hindus are shown Hindu customs from when they are young, as then Hinduism becomes part of their everyday life. This way they are prepared and understand more about their religion when it is time to start their religious duties (dharma). Priests can provide a vital role in teaching younger generations about Brahman. However the family is equally as important in teaching children. They can tell stories to younger children and the older generations can pass down their knowledge.
The teachings of the holy books is important too Hindus as it contains all of their teachings and ways of life. Again the priest and family provide the roles of taking care of the teaching of these. The priest especially as they can read the holy books and interpret them clearly. It is important that a Hindu is family with the holy books as this is from which they are worshipping and living their lives.
For Brahmin boys it is very important to under go the sacred thread ceremony. This ceremony is to initiate the boy into Hinduism and his religious duty. It involves tying a thread of three strands around the boy whilst other small rituals are performed. The three strands in the string represent: Gods, parents, and ancestors/teachers. It may also represent the Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. The boy will also now begin learning Sanskrit, which will enable him to read prayers and scriptures from the holy books. This ceremony is important for a boy because:
- It marks the start of his Dharma
- Marks the start of his formal education
- He begins to learn Sanskrit
- Trains in adult responsibilities
- Unless the ceremony has been performed he cannot marry.
This ritual if vital because it is part of the boy’s varna-ashrama-dharma. By learning Sanskrit, the Vedas and religious rituals he is fulfilling his dharma, which will give him good kharma. It is also setting him up for the rest of his life as he will learn new customs and rituals and all about his religion, ways of life and how to be a good Hindu. This is a big deal because he is only one life stage away from Moksha. It is also important because as his parents/grandparents have passed on their knowledge and teachings to him, he will too one day pass on this knowledge to his own children, when he is in ‘charge’ of the household.
You can also learn about religious festivals such as Diwali and Holi from the Mandir. These are important to know about the festivals and what they mean. For example Diwali is the festival of light. However it is not just fireworks. It is important that Hindus learn the stories and reasons behind these festivals, as they are an important part of a Hindus lifestyle.
By using a more ‘hands on’ approach it helps people learn easier, especially with younger people. Instead of just sitting learning about Hindu stories, teachings, children find it much more engaging to actually do them. So rather than just sitting learning about them, actually going to do them. This is where the Mandir is so important as a cultural centre. Rather than just being a place to socialize it is a place where Hindus can have fun and learn in a hand on approach. This is why it is so important to have the Mandir as a cultural centre because it not only brings the Hindu community together but it educates younger Hindus in fun ways (plays, dances, music etc), as well as educating them properly on Hinduism and Hindu ways of life in general (Priests, special lectures from visiting holy men, swamis).
