The Hindu Mandir The House of God

The Lesson objectives Last lesson you explored worship in the home through the act of Puja In today's lesson you will look at worship in the Mandir itself By the end of the next two lessons you will be able to: Explain the symbolism of the design of a Mandir. Explain how the Mandir shows the importance of Brahman Evaluate the statement “ spending lots of time and money on designing a place of worship is a waste of time and money”

This is the outside of the Mandir at Neasden in London Notice the high domes. All Hindu Mandirs have these. What do you think the dome might be a symbol for? What words come into your mind when you see this image? How would you describe it?

The outside of the Mandir The Mandir is usually very ornate often with carvings of the different murtis on the outside.( decorated) . This is a sign of respect – the Mandir is the “house of God” , the place where Hindus go to feel especially close to Brahman. The Mandirs often look like a palace as Brahman is like a King – all powerful and almighty The roof is often like a dome – it stretches up over the main shrine room to show that it is here that Hindus can reach “up” to God.

Inside the Mandir When you first enter the Mandir you must remove your shoes and place them on the racks provided. Why do you think this might be?

The Shrine room itself What do you notice about this room? What words would you use to describe it?

The Shrine room The heart of the Mandir is the shrine room. In here are the Murtis Each temple has a priest ( Brahmin) who looks after the Murtis. It is his job to wash , dress and feed the Murtis each day When a Hindu enters the temple they will often put an offering in front of the Shrine as a sign of respect. They will often bow or lay down in front of the image of God as a sign of respect.

Arti worship At Arti the start of Arti worship the Brahmin will ring a bell to show that worship will begin All worshippers will be seated on the floor. Some will prostrate ( lay down) Hymns will be chanted or sung – they are called Bahjans. The words give praise to Brahman The Brahmin will bring around a tray on which there will be an arti lamp. The worshipper will waft their hands over the lamp and then over their heads – it shows the idea that they are allowing Brahman into their heart6s and minds The worshipper will often put a coin onto the tray as an offering to the temple.

Your Task Your task is to create a guide to a Mandir. In it you must include the Following things: What a Mandir is What happens in a Mandir Why Mandirs are important to Hindus. Make your guides colourful and interesting. This is a marked piece of work so plan your ideas carefully and make Sure you present your work to the best of your ability.