Worship

• Daily Puja in the Home


  . Family wash and dress in clean clothes

  . Puja usually led by women

  . Bells are rung to invite the deities

  . Offerings are made to the deity
• The Importance of Daily Worship / Puja

  . It is a way of showing devotion to God

  . A way to form a relationship with God

  . It helps Hindus to concentrate on the inner self and seek wisdom

  . It is a way of gaining good karma
• Items found on a Home Shrine

  Murti, Picture, Flowers, Perfume, Sacred water from the Ganges, Offerings of food
• Worship in the Mandir


  . Taking off of shoes before entering main part of temple. Some wash hands

  . Ringing of the bell to wake the gods

  . Offerings of flowers/fruit to the Gods

  . Participating in the Arti ceremony or the Havan ceremony (fire ceremony)
• Bhakti


  . It leads to moksha (liberation from reincarnation) through the chosen deity who is their saviour

  . Loving devotion to a chosen God

  . Helps to form a relationship with God
• The Mandir is used for:

  congregational and personal worship, ceremonies (e.g. marriage), celebrating festivals (e.g. Diwali), as a school (e.g. teaching dance)
• Importance of Pilgrimage to Varanasi

  . It shows a commitment to their faith

  . It also shows devotion to the Gods

  . Hindus believe it brings good karma

  . Hindus want to visit holy sites in places such as Varanasi e.g. the temples
• Features of Pilgrimage to Varanasi (what happens?)

  . Bathe in the water of the Ganges

  . Perform puja and make offerings for their departed relatives

  . Visit the temples
• Differences within Hinduism between Vaishnavism and Shaivism


  They disagree about which deity is superior between Vishnu and Shiva
• Vaishnavism:


  . Worship Vishnu, the preserver God (often through avatars Krishna and Rama)

  . Believe that Brahman and atman are separate things

  . Worship focuses on Bhakti (personal devotion to God) to achieve moksha
• Shaivism


  . Worship Shiva, the destroyer God

  . Believe that Brahman and the atman are the same thing

  . Worship focuses on meditation to achieve moksha through