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Home , Deva (Hinduism), Hinduism Today, Navaratri, Sarasvati River, Swastika, Tilaka

A figurine of a married shows a red mountains to the ocean. Therefore, the holy section Hindu powder called sindur in the part of her hair. texts had to be composed well before 2000 1 Origins of Hindu women today follow this same cus- bce—by which time the river had dried up. tom as a sign of their married status. The The describe a powerful and spiri- pipal tree and tree are depicted of- tual people, their clans, kings and emperors. ten. These remain sacred to to this Their society was complex. The economy day. included agriculture, industry, trade, com- What You Will Learn... If YOU lived then... merce and cattle raising. The Vedas contain The banyan tree is a Main Ideas Your house is built on a wide, waterless riverbed. Your father tells you it The Vedas thousands of hymns in praise of and of Hindu- ism because it gives 1. Many Hindu religious was once the giant , five kilometers across. There is not The central holy books of Hinduism are the the . They describe a form of fire wor- shelter to all who practices are seen in the enough rain to provide for the family’s crops and cattle. Travelers tell four Vedas. Hindus regard them as spoken ship, , around a specially-built brick approach archeological remains of the by God. They are in . The Vedas fire . In several Indus-Sarasvati cities Indus-Sarasvati civilization. of another great river, the , hundreds of miles away. Your father 2. The sacred texts of Hinduism and other villagers decide they must move. were not written down but memorized. archeologists have unearthed what look like are in the Sanskrit language Students might spend twelve years learning fire . and were originally memo- How would you feel about the long journey? these scriptures. Some would memorize one rized but unwritten. Veda, others all four. Even today there are The Invasion Theory 3. Ancient Indian art and sci- priests who can chant an entire Veda—as Many school books present an “Aryan Inva- ence were highly developed. the impact Building Background ’s known history begins with the Indus- many as 10,500 verses—from memory. sion” of India. It is the theory that Aryan Today Sarasvati civilization, 5,500 years ago. We know from archeology that The relationship between the people of invaders came from central in 1500 The Big Idea The disputed this culture shows many features of later Hindu practice. the Indus-Sarasvati civilization and those bce and conquered the indigenous Indus- Aryan Invasion Hinduism developed over who composed the Vedas is not clearly Sarasvati civilization. It was these foreign- theory is still thousands of years in India. taught as fact in understood. We know that the Rig Veda ers, the theory states, who wrote the Rig Understanding Ancient Indian History most books on Key Terms describes the Sarasvati as the “most mighty Veda in Sanskrit. The theory was proposed India The early cities of India developed along the Indus and Sarasvati of rivers” flowing from the Himalayan in the 19th century by scholars in , Indus and Sarasvati rivers, p. 2; rivers starting around 3500 bce. They are called the Indus-Sarasvati Vedas, p. 3; Sanskrit, p. 3 civilization or, sometimes, the Harappan culture. It was the largest From Indus-Sarasvati to Modern Times Hinduism Today’s and most advanced civilization in the ancient world. But the mighty Teaching Standards Sarasvati River dried up, and what was once a fertile area became a Indus-Sarasvati sculptures, desert. The people of the region moved to other parts of India and seals and artifacts This column in each of the three beyond. By 2000 bce the civilization had entered a period of decline. more than 5,000 years sections presents our outline old display features of for Hinduism in 6th grade modern Hinduism history books. It is intended to The Religion of the Indus-Sarasvati People replace existing lists of required A great many artifacts have been discovered from the Indus-Saras- Lord Siva in is topics, such as those found in vati cities. These include pottery, seals, statues, beads, jewelry, tools, foundfound onon thethe IndusIndus sealsseals the California Standards. games, such as dice, and children’s toys, such as miniature carts. 1. Explain the similarities be- tween Indus-Sarasvati civiliza- The flat, stone seals have pictures and writing on them. Scholars tion and later Hindu culture. have not yet agreed on what the mysterious script on the seals means. 2. Discuss why the Aryan Inva- They show , ceremonies, symbols, people, plants and animals.

sion theory has been disputed We learn from them that people at that time followed practices iden- dinodia by many scholars. tical to those followed by Hindus today. One seal shows a meditating 3. Discuss the social and political

figure that scholars link to Lord Siva, while others show the lotus dinodia system and advancement of posture used by today’s meditators. The , a sacred symbol of science and culture. good used throughout Hindu history, is common. At left is a clay figure showing the This clay figure of a woman has redsindur 4. Explain the development of typical Hindu greeting of “” There are statues, including a small clay figure with its hands in the hair part—a custom followed by between 1000 married Hindu women to this day bce and 500 ce. pressed together in the traditional Hindu greeting of “namaste.”

I-2 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-3 based on language studies. In part, it tried culture. Because of inadequate archeologi- strong identity and pride in their occupation. From Medicine was so advanced that doctors were per- Hindu to explain why Sanskrit is so closely related cal research, we do not know a lot about Symbols time to time people would move from one caste to forming complex surgery not equaled in Europe to European languages, including English. this period. However, by 600 bce, India had another, or establish new ones. The evolving caste until the 18th century. In ancient times India was Many scholars now dispute this theory be- developed a common culture from north system became unfair to the people at the very one of the most advanced and wealthy nations on cause all the evidence for it is questionable. to south and east to west. By this time the bottom of the social order. Though caste is still an Earth. Since ancient times, a quarter of the world’s Additionally, modern scientists have found social, religious and philosophical ideas important factor in arranging marriages, caste dis- people have lived in India. no biological evidence, such as DNA, that and practices central to Hinduism are fully crimination is illegal in modern India. people came from outside India in signifi- evident. These are in continuity with the The sacred fire altar Women have always been held in high regard in Section 1 Assessment cant numbers since at least 6,000 bce. religion of the Indus-Sarasvati culture, the of the ancient Vedic India. Some of India’s foremost religious and politi- rites. To this day Reviewing Ideas, Terms and People Many common explanations about Indian teachings of the Vedas, Dravidian culture Hindu weddings cal leaders are women. Hinduism is the only major 1. a. Explain What happened to the Sarasvati River? history and culture are based on the Aryan and elements of the tribal religions. and other rites are religion in which God is worshiped in female form. b. Analyze What customs from modern Hinduism are Invasion theory. Those who defend it claim Hindu public worship, described in the conducted around Life in ancient times was hard work for both fire altars. depicted in artifacts of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization? that Sanskrit, the caste system and Hindu Vedas, took place in temporary shelters built men and women. The women were responsible for 2. Elaborate What are the advantages of a hereditary ways of worship came from outside India. If for that purpose. The earliest mention of running the household; the men for their craft or occupation? What are the disadvantages? you are studying India in school, you may permanent temples for the worship of God farm, as well as security. In general, women had 3. a. Summarize How are women regarded in Hindu read about this outdated theory. is in the Grihya , around 600 bce. fewer property rights than men, but received lighter society? punishments for crimes and paid fewer taxes. They b. Recall What are some of the great scientific achieve- Hinduism Emerges Indian Society ments in ancient India? participated equally with their husband in religious 4. a. Explain How were the Vedas preserved? Academic As the Indus-Sarasvati culture declined, A distinctive feature of India at this time was ceremonies and festival celebrations. Some women b. List What kind of information is in the Vedas? Vocabulary many of its people migrated to other places. the or class system. Society was clas- were highly educated, and a few even composed c. Explain Why is it important that the Rig Veda men- They settled mostly in north and central sified into groups with specific occupations. continuity several of the holy Vedic hymns. tions the Sarasvati River as a “mighty river?” India, especially along the Ganga River These groups tended to become hereditary. unbroken con- The period from 1000 bce through the Gupta nection or line of Focus on Writing ✎ system. They interacted with tribes who There were four broad classes—priests, war- development period up to the mid-6th century ce was a time had lived in those areas from ancient times. riors, merchants and workers (including of great advancement. Hindus discovered the zero hereditary 5. Analyze What does your school history book say Around 1000 bce, the Tamil-speaking Dra- craftsmen). The system provided order and passed from par- and established the counting method, including about the Aryan Invasion? How does this lesson differ? vidian people in the South had separately stability to society. Later on, the varnas di- ents to children the decimal system, we use today. Their astrono- developed a sophisticated language and vided into hundreds of sub-sections called mers knew that the Earth orbits the and cal- jatis (castes). Individual jatis developed a culated the length of a year with great precision. Timeline: Early Indian History Sushruta 321 BCE 5000 BCE 2600-2000 BCE Foundation of the pan- Angkor 1200 ce Beginning of Indus- Height of Indus-Sara­ Indian . Time 200 CE Sarasvati cities svati civilization. The of great advancement in city of includes Hindu influence starts to spread into what science, statecraft, economy, is now Cambodia, , and large buildings and architecture, music and art. Gupta Art an enclosed harbor. . In 1200 ce, the called is built in Cambodia. It is the world’s largest religious structure. 5000 BCE 2500 BCE 1000 BCE 500 BCE 200 BCE 300 CE 2000 BCE 600 BCE 500 BCE 200 BCE 320 CE Sarasvati River India is a unified culture at this time. Magadha Empire in Tiruvalluvar com- Gupta Empire reigns over most of dries up. People Large cities flourish in the Gangetic the North and Pandyan poses Tirukural, one India, with Tamil kingdoms in far move to North Plains. Indian physician Sushruta Kingdom in the South of India’s greatest south. This is the Golden Age of and Central India. develops complex methods of sur- flourish. scriptures on ethics India and Hinduism, with respect gery. flourishes in and , offshoots and tolerance for all religions. Lothal the South. First mention of temple of Hinduism, become s. rajam

harrapan.com worship appears in the Grihya Sutras. prominent religions.

I-4 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-5 section the physical universe. As immanent, His di- angels and archangels in Western religions. Hindu Hindu Beliefs vine form pervades all nature and humanity. Some Hindus consider the Gods and God- Symbols 2 In Hinduism, the soul is called . desses as alternative forms of the Supreme God exists within each soul. The Chando- God, and not as individual divine beings. and Scriptures gya Upanishad explains it like this: “What Each God and has particular you see when you look into another person’s powers and areas of responsibility. For ex- What You Will Learn... If YOU lived then... eyes, that is atman, immortal, beyond fear; ample, is the Lord of Obstacles. that is God.” Before beginning a new project, a Hindu A is a husked Main Ideas The king has passed a new law increasing the taxes on farmers. The Hinduism has different branches with may pray to Ganesha to remove any obsta- set in a brass 1. Hindus believe in a one farmers in your village have not had a good year. The harvest is smaller varying beliefs and practices. The four ma- cles blocking his way. pot with mango leaves. It is used in Supreme God and also many than usual. The new tax may mean people will go hungry. Some in the jor branches are Saiva, Shakta, Vaishnava In the Vaishnava tradition, Lord Gods and . worship to represent 2. , and rein- village want to attack the tax collectors. Others want to lie about the and Smarta. Saivas and Shaktas call the appears on Earth as a divine personality, or the Supreme God or any of the Gods or carnation are central Hindu Supreme God Siva, though Shaktas worship , from time to time to restore morally amount of harvest. Still others say a peaceful protest will cause the Goddesses. beliefs. There is a special king to change his mind on the tax increase. the female aspect of God. Vaishnavas call right living. Of Vishnu’s ten , Lord emphasis on nonviolence. Him Vishnu. Smartas may choose one of and Lord are the most im- Academic 3. Vedas are the primary Hindu Vocabulary How would you respond to the tax increase? Why? six Deities to worship as the Supreme. By portant. Rama and Krishna are not separate scriptures. There are other subordinate important scriptures as well. whichever name or form, He is the same, Gods. They are two forms of the one Su- lower in rank, one Supreme God. The Rig Veda says, “The preme God. less important Building Background From its beginnings, Hinduism has been an seers call in many ways that which is One.” In temples and shrines, the Supreme pervade open-minded religion. It is a basic Hindu belief that there are many Hindus may also worship Gods and God- God and the Gods and Goddesses are The Big Idea ways to approach God. Hinduism does not dictate one way as the only to be present desses, called devas, such as Ganesha and worshiped in a ritual called . Puja is throughout Hindus believe every soul will way. Hindus believe “Truth is one, paths are many” and that every per- ultimately achieve Sarasvati. In Sanskrit, means “shining a ceremony in which the ringing of bells, encompass son eventually finds spiritual . God Realization. one.” In some ways, these divine beings passing of flames, chanting and present- to surround and who live in the worlds are like the ing of flowers, and other offerings hold within Key Terms Religion Permeates the Hindu’s Daily Life Sanatana Dharma, p. 6 , p. 6 Hindus base their way of life upon their religion. The Hindu culture One Supreme God and Many Gods and Goddesses deva, p. 7 comes from Hindu beliefs. The key beliefs are in a one Supreme Hindus believe in a one supreme and loving God. At the same puja, p. 8 God, subordinate Gods and Goddesses, heaven worlds, the time, they believe in Gods and Goddesses, great spiritual beings karma, p. 8 of the soul, dharma, karma, reincarnation, God Realization and lib- who help us. reincarnation, p. 8 eration from . God Realization means the direct and personal Sarasvati is the Goddess of experience of the Divine within oneself. The original Sanskrit name learning and music. Below, Hinduism Today’s for Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, meaning “eternal religion.” She sits on a lotus flower play- Teaching Standards ing the multi-stringed vina. 5. Explain the basic Hindu beliefs Belief in God and the Gods and Goddesses regarding God, the Gods and Hindus believe in and worship a one Supreme God. In the scrip- Goddesses, dharma, karma tures, the Supreme God is called Brahman or , worshiped and reincarnation. Describe as both male and female. Brahman is all-powerful, all-knowing, basic Hindu practices. all-loving and present in all things. God created everything in the 6. Discuss the Hindu principles of nonviolence and religious universe out of Himself. This creation is not separate from Him.

tolerance. He guides the evolution of everything over vast spans of time. Ul- all art: sharma 7. Describe the Vedas and timately, He absorbs the universe back into Himself. This cycle of Ganesha is the God prayed to their , , creation, preservation and absorption repeats without end. before beginning any task or (including the In the Lord Krishna shows The Supreme God is both transcendent and immanent. These are worship. His elephant head Bhagavad Gita) and other Arjuna His universal form as the Supreme makes Him easy to recognize. important Hindu scriptures. two key philosophical concepts. As transcendent, God exists beyond God encompassing all the other Gods

I-6 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/juneapril/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-7 Linking to Today man, is reborn in a new body, experiencing jali explore and meditation. Hindu many lifetimes. The purpose of rebirth is The Ramayana and Mahabharata are Symbols Nonviolence to progressively achieve spiritual maturity two sacred epic histories of India. The The Hindu principle of , or nonviolence, is important and God Realization. Eventually each soul Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama, who today. , a devout Hindu, said, “Nonviolence is learns to live by religious principles and is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. avoid creating negative karma. The process and his divine wife . This 24,000-verse It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of of reincarnation continues through many poem describes Prince Rama’s birth, His destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” By nonviolent means Gandhi largely won lives until the soul achieves liberation. banishment to a forest for 14 years, the The gopura is the India’s independence, using peaceful protests, abduction of Sita by the huge entrance boycotts, strikes and speeches. In the 1950s, Hinduism’s Sacred Scriptures and Rama’s victory over Ravana. The Ra- tower of South Indian temples Martin Luther King, Jr. studied Gandhi’s meth- The four Vedas are the holiest scriptures for mayana remains immensely popular to this ods and went to India to meet his followers. all Hindus. The Upanishads, an important day in India and Southeast Asia. dinodia He learned how India’s nonviolent movement part of the Vedas, explain the Hindu philoso- The Mahabharata, “Great India,” is a worked and applied the same methods to fight for and win civil rights for America’s phy. The next most important scriptures, also 78,000-verse story of a massive war that minority. Aung San Suu Kyi, a devout Buddhist, in Sanskrit, are the Agamas. There are spe- took place in ancient times between the has campaigned without violence for years to cificAgamas for each major tradition in Hin- and their cousins, the Kauravas, win democracy for the people of her native blackstar photos/flip schulke duism—Saiva, Shakta and Vaishnava. The for the throne of a great kingdom. It also Myanmar (Burma). In 1991 she won the Nobel Agamas explain philosophy, personal conduct, describes the nature of self and the world, Peace Prize for her peaceful struggle against the country’s mili- worship and temple construction. There are karma, important family lineages of India, tary dictatorship. Another example is Cesar Chavez, who won Academic hundreds of other scriptural texts dealing human loyalties, saints and sages, devotion rights for California farm workers using nonviolent methods. Vocabulary with religious and secular law, government, to God and the ideals of dharma. Lord analysis secular analyzing information Skill social order, economics, ecology, health, ar- Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord activities or things chitecture, science, music, astronomy and Vishnu, is a key figure in the epic. A central not related to What are the advantages of nonviolence over /apichart weerawong many other subjects. The are ency- episode called the Bhagavad Gita narrates violence in bringing about social change? religion clopedic accounts of the forms and avatars of Krishna’s dialogue with the archer, God, the many subordinate Gods and divine Arjuna, on the day of the battle. It is one Academic invoke the Divine beings, who then come Dharma, Karma and Reincarnation Vocabulary beings, creation, spiritual teachings, histori- of the most popular and revered among to bless and help the devotees. During the Dharma means righteousness, divine law, eth- cal traditions, geography and culture. The Vaishnava and Smarta scriptures. Hindu consecrated puja, through holy chants, gestures and sa- ics, religion, duty, justice and truth. Dharma made sacred Tirukural is a Tamil masterpiece on ethics sacred music, dance, drama and the arts cred ritual, highly trained priests guide the means the proper way one should live one’s through ceremony and moral living. The Yoga Sutras of Patan- draw heavily on the Ramayana, the Ma- worship. The priests treat the with life. To follow dharma, one should be religious, invoke habharata and the many Puranas. utmost care, attending to Him as the King truthful, kind, honest and generous. Dharma summon a Deity; Section 2 Assessment appeal to of kings. The purpose of the puja is to cre- includes the practice of nonviolence, called ate a high religious vibration and communi- ahimsa in Sanskrit. It is the ideal of not injur- Reviewing Ideas, Terms and People c. Explain What is the purpose of reincarnation? 5. Summarize Make a list of Hindu scriptures, starting with Hindu cate with God or a deva through the , ing others in thought, word or action. 1. a. DefineWhat is Sanatana Dharma? the Vedas. Symbols or consecrated statue, that is the focus of Karma, a central Hindu belief, is the law b. Explain What is a deva? worship. Deity is the proper English word of cause and effect. It means that anything c. Elaborate What are the two key terms used by Hindus Critical Thinking to describe the Supreme God? 6. Evaluate Why do Hindus believe that there are many for murti. The word idol is often used, but you do will eventually return to you in this 2. Categorize What are the four main branches of Hindu- ways to approach the Supreme God? it is incorrect. or future lives. If we do something selfish ism? Hindus also practice internal worship of or hateful, we will in time experience the 3. a. Recall Why do Hindus pray first to Lord Ganesha? Focus on Writing ✎ God. Sitting quietly, they may repeat the same pain and suffering we caused to oth- b. Identify What are the two most popular incarnations The orange or red name of God while counting on beads. Oth- ers. If our acts are good and kind, we will of Lord Vishnu? 7. Understanding nonviolence banner is the flag ers may chant, sing or meditate upon God. receive goodness and kindness. c. Explain What is the purpose of the Hindu puja? Write a paragraph explaining your way to deal with the of Hinduism, which 4. a. Explain What is karma? tax increase example given on page six. Do you think a flies above temples, In Hinduism, there are many ways to wor- Reincarnation means literally to “re-enter b. Illustrate What are some examples of following nonviolent approach would succeed? at festivals and in ship the Divine. the flesh.” It is the belief that the soul, at- parades dharma?

I-8 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-9 Sacred Texts from the Upanishads

The sacred sound aum is chanted at Translated by Prabhavananda the beginning and and Frederick Manchester end of most prayers dinodia The Upanishads are the part of the Vedas that teach philoso- spirit said to him: “Who The Vedas and Upanishads are written in Sanskrit, a language that is thousands of years old phy. The word upanishad means “sitting by devotedly,” as a are you?” student sits near his to learn. This excerpt is taken from “I am the God of wind. the . It explains the nature of the Supreme As a matter of fact, I am very widely known. I fly swiftly Guided Reading God, called Brahman in Sanskrit. through the .” Word Help “And what power do you wield?” As You Read Try to sum up the meaning of each sentence philosophy “I can blow away anything on Earth.” in your own words. a theory or attitude that “Blow this away,” said the spirit, placing a straw before him. Guided Reading guides behavior The God of wind fell upon it with all his might, but was unable Word Help vain Once the Gods won a victory over the , and though to move it. So he ran back to the other Gods and said, “I cannot adorned excessively proud they had done so only through the power of Brahman, they discover who this mysterious spirit is.” beautifully dressed mysterious were exceedingly vain. They thought to themselves, “It was we Then said the other Gods to Indra, greatest of them all, “O beholding unknown who beat our enemies, and the glory is ours.” respected one, find out for us, we pray you, who he is.” looking at something consume Brahman saw their vanity and appeared before them as a remarkable to destroy completely, “Yes,” said Indra and humbly approached the spirit. But the 2 nature spirit. But they did not recognize Him. 1 attained as by fire spirit vanished, and in his place stood Goddess Uma, well Then the other Gods said to the God of fire, “Fire, find out won; achieved adorned and of exceeding beauty. Beholding her, Indra asked: for us who this mysterious nature spirit is.” “Who was the spirit that appeared to us?” “Yes,” said the God of fire, and approached the spirit. The 1 This verse says that the Gods “That,” answered Uma, “was Brahman. Through Him it was, were vain. spirit said to him: “Who are you?” 2 Indra took a different not of yourselves, that you attained your victory and your glory.” What test did the Supreme God “I am the God of fire. As a matter of fact, I am very widely approach to finding out Thus did Indra, and the God of fire, and the God of wind, who the spirit was. put them through? known.” come to recognize Brahman, the Supreme God. Why did he succeed when “And what power do you wield?” the others failed? “I can burn anything on Earth.” “Burn this,” said the spirit, placing a straw before him. The Understanding Sacred Texts God of fire fell upon it with all his might, but could not con- sume it. So he ran back to the other Gods and said, “I cannot 1. Analyzing Hindus believe that the Supreme God is 2. Comparing What is the difference between Brahman, immanent. That means He exists everywhere in the the Supreme God, and the other Gods introduced discover who this mysterious spirit is.” universe, in everyone and everything. How does this here—Indra, the God of fire and the God of wind? Then said the other Gods to the God of wind: “Wind, can belief appear in the story? you find out for us who he is?” “Yes,” said the God of wind, and approached the spirit. The

I-10 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-11 Hindu Migration Through the Centuries

section EUROPE NORTH Hinduism in AMERICA 3 MIDDLE Practice EAST CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AFRICA SOUTHEAST ASIA What You Will Learn... If YOU lived then... INDIAN MALAYSIA SUBCONTINENT You are born in in 1910. Your parents were brought from India by KENYA Main Ideas SOUTH INDONESIA Through the 12th century ce AMERICA 1. Hinduism has spread outside the British to work in the sugarcane fields as indentured laborers. Now 19th century of India several times. they are free of debt and own farmland. The public school is OK, but 20th century and on FIJI 2. Hinduism is the third largest SOUTH REUNION AFRICA AUSTRALIA religion in the world. your parents want you to go to the best private school. The principal 3. Hindus practice religion at there says you must leave Hinduism and convert to his religion before Hinduism has spread outside of India in several waves. First it home and in temples and NEW was adopted by cultures throughout Southeast Asia through ZEALAND through the many festivals. you can enroll. mountain high maps the 12th century ce. Second, in the 19th century many Hin- What do you think your parents would do? dus moved to the various European colonies, such as South men at the temple or on ceremonial occa- Africa, the Caribbean and Fiji. And most recently, Hindus The Big Idea migrated to more than 150 countries in the 20th century. Building Background Hinduism is the only major religion from the sions. This forehead mark symbolizes many Hinduism is the oldest world distant past that is still vibrant today. It survived because of its tradi- religion flourishing today. things, especially spiritual vision. tion of home-centered worship, because of its rich teachings and thousands of temples, most quite ancient. many religious leaders, and because it is not merely tolerant of other Worship in the Home religions but respects the validity of all spiritual paths. Temples in India can be enormous, covering Every Hindu home has a place of worship. many acres, having vast pillared hallways Key Terms It may be as simple as a shelf with pictures that can accommodate 500,000 devotees of God or an entire room dedicated to wor- the impact samskara, p. 12 Traditions and Holy Days during a festival. Often one or more families Today , p. 12 ship. Many families have a spiritual guide of priests oversee the temple and conduct puja, p. 13 Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world. There are today There are Hindu or guru whose picture is displayed in the the worship over many generations. When temples in nearly swami, p. 14 nearly a billion Hindus worldwide, 95 percent of whom live on the shrine. There, the family may light a lamp, every country of Mela, p. 15 . Hinduism continues to thrive for many reasons. Hindus migrate outside India, they build ring a bell and pray daily. The most devout the world Its followers find answers to their deepest questions about the mys- a temple as soon as possible. At first, com- hold a formal morning worship ritual. They teries of life. With personal religious practices, pilgrimage to sacred munity leaders themselves conduct the daily offer flowers, incense, lights and food to shrines, temple- and home-centered worship, Hindus strive for God rituals. Later, professional priests are hired. Academic God while chanting sacred verses. Indi- Realization. And through celebration of the yearly cycle of vibrant There are now hundreds of Hindu temples Vocabulary vidual members will often go to the shrine Hinduism Today’s and colorful festivals, they experience great and joy. in America. The largest are in New York, indentured for blessings before leaving for school or Teaching Standards Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas and California. under contract to work. At other times one may sit alone in work for a certain 8. Describe the spread of Hindu- Basic Practices The temple worship ceremony, or puja, is the shrine, pray and chant the names of number of years ism outside of India in ancient There are five basic practices,pancha nitya , often observed usually performed by a priest from India. God, read from scripture, meditate silently and modern times. by Hindus. They are to: 1) worship daily, 2) follow dharma, 3) ob- During the ceremony, he worships God by austerity or sing devotional songs. a difficult practice 9. Describe the daily observances serve the samskaras (rites of passage), 4) celebrate the holy days chanting Sanskrit verses from the scriptures of self-denial and of Hindus, home and temple and 5) go on pilgrimage to sacred places. Other practices include and performing arati. Arati is the waving worship, religious teachers Temple Worship discipline meditation, chanting of , study of scripture, and of an oil lamp in front of the Deity while and the major festivals. Hindus prefer to live within a day’s journey meditate other yoga techniques, and simple austerities, such as . There bells are rung. The priest also offers flow- 10. Explain how Hinduism has of a temple. The temple is a special build- think deeply about, survived over the last 5,000 are many samskaras, including a child’s name-giving ceremony, the ers, sweets and fruit. These offerings are go within yourself ing, revered as the home of God. The main years. first feeding of solid food, the beginning of formal education and then distributed to the devotees as a bless- or seek God within Deity is enshrined in the temple’s central marriage. It is a common practice for Hindu women to wear a bindi, ing from God. Hindus may visit the temple sanctum. In India, there are hundreds of a red dot on the forehead. A similar mark, called , is worn by throughout the day to worship and meditate.

I-12 hinduism today april/may/june, 2007 april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-13 ism. Instead, there are thousands of inde- other with colored water and powders. It Linking to Today Hindu pendent spiritual traditions, monastic orders signifies the triumph of good over evil and Symbols and religious institutions. marks the beginning of the winter crop Festivals harvest. Vaikasi Visakham (May/June) is sa- The biggest Hindu festival of the year is , or Dipavali, the The Yearly Festival Cycle cred to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. Guru Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of good over evil, light There are many religious festivals celebrated is a special festival to honor one’s over darkness. It takes place for five days around the new moon by Hindus each year. They are observed at spiritual teacher, or guru. It takes place on in October/November. It also honors the return of Lord Rama to after 14 years in exile. , the Goddess of Wealth home, in temples and public places. Most the full moon day in July. There are also is invoked for prosperity, and Her presence is felt in every home. Hindu festivals are observed according to many social festivals in India, such as Pon- The sacred oil lamp Hindus thoroughly clean the house, take a special bath and put an ancient solar-lunar calendar. Several fes- gal. It is held in January and celebrates the is used in the home on new clothes. Thousands of small lamps, including traditional and temple. Many tivals honor the avatars of Lord Vishnu. For incoming harvest. Hindu events begin clay oil lamps (pictured at right), are placed everywhere and with the lighting of dinodia example, Ram celebrates the birth One special festival, the Kumbha Mela, fireworks signal hope for mankind. It is a national holiday in India of Lord Rama in March/April. Krishna takes place in a twelve-year cycle. Hindu the lamp. and in many countries with large Hindu populations. Some Hindu festivals take place mostly at home, such as Janmashtami, in July/August, celebrates the saints and millions of devotees travel to cer- Bandhan, which is on the full moon in July/August. Sisters birth of Lord Krishna. tain sacred rivers at an auspicious time for tie a rakhi, or colored thread, around the wrist of their Mahasivaratri takes place in February/ worship. The 2001 Kumbha Mela was held brothers. In return, the brother gives his sister a present March, when devotees fast and worship at Prayag (modern ) in North and promises to protect her. The rakhi can also be given to the transcendent Lord Siva all night in the India. It was attended by 70 million people, Academic anyone chosen as an “adopted brother.” temple. Diwali, or Dipavali, is the biggest including 30 million on January 24 alone. Vocabulary

analysis festival of the year. It is dedicated to Lak- This was the largest religious gathering ever auspicious Skill analyzing information shmi, the Goddess of Wealth, and takes held on the Earth. a favorable time— How do festivals help remind people to be more kind for the Mela, as dinodia place in October/November. is and generous to one another? the second largest festival. It lasts nine days determined by the and takes place in September/October. It Summary Hinduism’s Saints, Teachers and Swamis Hinduism has millions of swamis and is dedicated to the worship of the Goddess, Hinduism is the oldest world religion. Hinduism has a rich history of saints and other holy persons. Swamis are unmarried . in her three forms: , the God- Academic It accepts that there are many ways to sages, both men and women. Their lives are men (and some women) who have taken up dess of Protection; Lakshmi, the Goddess Vocabulary worship God. It has endured for so long educational and inspiring. They come from spiritual life full time. Swami means “he of Wealth, and Sarasvati, the Goddess of mendicant because the religion and culture have in- all castes. Some saints, such as , who knows himself.” Some live in monaster- Knowledge. a holy person stilled in each Hindu a unique and strong who lives by have written detailed explanations of the Ve- ies; others wander as homeless mendicants. , in March/April, is a highly spirited sense of identity and community. The Rig begging das and other scriptures. Other saints, such Swamis are the religious ministers of Hindu- festival where everyone sprinkles each Veda concludes, “Let there be everlasting as Mirabai, and Sambandar, taught ism. Many swamis teach, others run large unity and peace among all human beings.” through devotional songs. Recent saints in- institutions that perform social service for clude Sri and . their communities, and still others live alone Section 3 Assessment Their deeply religious lives have uplifted and meditate long hours each day in their Hindu Reviewing Ideas, Terms and People Symbols millions of Hindus and others worldwide. pursuit of divine enlightenment. Special 1. a. List What are the five basic practices of Hinduism? 4. List Make a list of three columns. In the first column The bell is used There are hundreds of thousands of reli- among these are the holy . Gu means b. Define What does the bindi, red dot, signify? write the name of a major Hindu festival. In the second, in Hindu worship gious scholars and teachers, both men and darkness and ru means remover. So guru because it can be c. Explain How do Hindus use their home shrine room? put the time of year it occurs. In the third list what it heard in the world women, known as pundits. Some give spell- literally means “the one who removes dark- 2. List What are the various kinds of priests and holy men celebrates. of the Gods binding discourses on sacred scriptures, ness.” These men and women are great and ? including Ramayana and Mahabharata. religious teachers, some with millions of 3. a. Explain What is the year’s biggest Hindu festival? Focus on Writing ✎ Tens of thousands may attend such gather- followers. Several gurus have popularized b. Define What is the meaning of the rakhi bracelet? ings, which include storytelling, preaching, the Hindu practice of yoga by establishing c. Recall What is special about the Kumbha Mela? 5. Understanding Hindu practices d. Elaborate Why has Hinduism lasted so long? Why do you think Hindus want to live near a temple? devotional singing and drama. These events training centers all over the world. No one often go on for days or even a month. person or institution is in charge of Hindu-

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