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WORSHIP

TEMPLES:

The Hindu Temple is a place of worship with the following features:

The temples are constructed as per rules laid down in our ancient scriptures

with particular stress on the vaastu-shastra.

During the construction of the temple, it generates job opportunities for

architects, artisans, sculptors & laborers.

A completely constructed temple symbolizes the importance of spirituality over worldly life.

The image of the GOD within the temple provides peace to the mind of people.

Music, dance & fine-arts programs in the temple give encouragement to the artists.

The granaries of the temple are used to feed the hungry.

Religious discourses by eminent saints help to gain knowledge for common public.

Temples built in other countries act as cultural ambassadors and spread the

spiritual and educational services to the Indian community and local public

interested in knowing about Hinduism.

 

MANTRAS: A mantra is Divine Power clothed in sound. The mantra is considered the

very deity in the sound, is for continued repetition during meditation. There

are three types of mantras: sattvic, rajsic and tamsic. Here we will be giving

a synopsis few of the sattvic mantras:

AUM: Among the sacred mantras, the monosyllabic word OM is the most ancient and

important basic mantra of all the Sanskrit mantras. The syllable Om can be

spleed as AUM. Each of the three letters refers to :

A: creation / jagrat / physical.

U: preservation / swapna / astral.

M: destruction /sushupti /casual.

These three regions refer to the three planes of existence or lokas:

Svarga (heaven).

Martya (earth).

Patala ( netherworld).

The pictorial image of Om is used as a symbol of Hinduism.

GAYATRI MANTRA (Savitri mantra):

Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvah

Tat Savitur Varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

The Gayatri Mantra is most scarred of all mantras in the vedic texts and is

often referred to as the Moola Mantra. It is found in the Rigveda. Its simple

explanation is given is given below:

“Aum, we meditate on the effulgence of that Adorable Divine Being, who is the

source and projector of the three worlds – the earthly plane (Bhuloka), the

subtle ethereal plane (Bhuvarloka), and the heavenly plane (Svargloka). May

that Supreme Divine Being stimulate our intelligence in order that we may

realize the Supreme Truth.”

SHLOKAS: A shloka is a verse or hymn in the praise and is composed in a

specified meter. It is usually a verse in two lines, each with sixteen

syllables.

BHAJANS: Bhajans are devotional songs recited in the praise of Gods to show love

and gratitude. An effective bhajan should have the combination of feeling,

melody and rhythm. The words of the bhajan should be an outpouring of love and

devotion towards God. While singing a bhajan, a devotee absolves himself deep

into the feelings of words expressed in the bhajan which also makes a deep

impression on the mind of the persons hearing it.

PUJA: is the act of showing reverence to God by making spiritual connection with

the deity through invocation, rituals and prayers. As the Lord is not accessible

to our eyes in physical form, the great sages devised the method of Puja in

which we assume the presence of deity in the element of nature, idol,

scripture, painting or a print which we can physically touch and feel. With

constant practice and faith we bring our wandering senses to focus on this

representation of God and thus lit the path to get closer to himin the life.

PILGRIMAGE: Though in Hindu Dharma God is said to be present everywhere and in

each thing but there are many sites where the divine has in some way become

more explicitly manifest on earth and such places are subsequently felt to be

best and most auspicious sites for contact of the divine. There are hundreds

of places of pilgrimage all over India, but most Hindus hope to visit the

following four famous shrines:

Badrinath temple in the North India.

Jagannath temple at Puri in East India.

Rameshvaram temple in the South India.

Dwarkadheesh temple in the West India.

Other places which lures a Hindu for visit are:

Pushkar, Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain, Nasik, Gaya, Mathura and Vrindavan.

FESTIVALS: There are numerous major and minor festivals in Hinduism.

Hindu festivals are characterized by happiness and joy. The major festivals are

Dusshera, Diwali, Holi, Mahashivratari, Raksh-bandhan, Ganesh Chathurthi,

Krishna Janamashtami, Ram Navmi and Navratras, Guru Puja, Bhaiya Duj. The

other festivals are celebrated on the regional basis, e.g., Kali Puja and

Sarawati

Puja are celebrated in Eastern India, Pongal in Southern India, Ganesh Puja in

Maharashtra and Baisaakhi in Punjab. Birth anniversaries of various saints are

also observed in different parts of India.

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