Worship

• Worship


  In Hinduism, there are many different types of worship, which are all performed for different purposes. The main theme of worship is to show bhakti, which means loving devotion to God.
• Main types of Hindu worship


  • Puja
  • Aarti
  • Darshan
  • Havan
• Worship is an incredibly important part of Hindu life. Every choice or action they make is often affected by their faith.
• Hindu worship


  It is not limited to a particular place and Hindus perform worship in temples and within the home.
• Purposes of Hindu worship


  Seeking blessings, guidance, or specific outcomes, as well as fostering a sense of inner peace and spiritual growth.
• Forms of Hindu worship


  • Repeating names of God
  • Listening to or reading the holy books
  • Making offerings
• Hindu worship often incorporates personal reflection, music, dance, poetry, rituals, and ceremonies.
• Hindu approach to worshipping gods


  Rather than worshiping all the Gods, Hindus tend to prefer a personal God who is easier to understand than those of the supreme being Brahman. They will often choose a family God or one which is relevant to their daily lives.
• Home shrine


  It is usually kept in the cleanest room in the house to show respect to Brahman. The most important thing is to make sure that all members of the family can take part in daily worship.
• Home shrine


  • It can be very simple, just a shelf on a wall, or it may be very large and beautifully decorated. It will contain important objects used for worship, images of the family's chosen deity, and photographs of family members who have died.
• Puja


  The most important type of worship, which uses all five senses.
• In order to keep the home pure and sanctified, Hindu people usually do not wear shoes inside. Some will also avoid other habits they consider unclean, such as smoking and drinking, eating meat, and having dogs and cats inside the house. Most Hindus consider it essential to bathe at least once a day, especially before worship.
• Temple (Mandir)


  A special place where Hindus worship, meant to encourage reflection, facilitate purification of one's mind, and trigger the process of inner realization within the devotee.
• Hindu temples


  • They are decorated elaborately as they represent the idea of a palace, which highlights the idea that God is like a king. The outside of some temples have statues of various deities or scenes from important stories in Hinduism.
• As there are so many gods in Hinduism, it is not possible for every temple to have a statue of each one. This means that each temple has statues of many popular gods, but also some statues of gods that are important to the people of that particular community.
• Visiting a temple


  1. Remove shoes

  2. Enter main shrine room

  3. Ring bell to 'awaken' deities

  4. Walk around main shrine area

  5. Kneel or sit down and offer pranams (respectful greetings)

  6. Silently recite prayers

  7. Give offerings to the gods
• Darshan


  Receiving sight of the deity, who in turn, sees the worshipper.
• Once the offerings of food have been blessed by the temple priest, they are distributed to the visitors.
• Holy places for Hindu worship


  Hills and rivers, such as the Himalayas and the Ganges river.
• Hindus believe the Ganges river is spiritually pure and embodied by the goddess Ganga. Rituals performed at the banks or in its waters will bring fortune and wash away impurity, including any previous bad Karma.
• Hindus consider many plants and animals to be sacred, and many are vegetarian and always act with loving kindness towards living things.
• Murti


  A devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a deity or saint used during puja and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing devotion or reverence. It is a symbolic icon representing Divinity, not God itself.
• Murti


  • They are washed, have their clothes changed regularly, are offered food, and decorated with flowers.
• Puja


  A worship ritual performed by Hindus to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities. It may honour or celebrate the presence of special guests, or their memories after they die.
• Puja is not mandatory in Hinduism. It may be a routine daily affair for some Hindus, a periodic ritual for some, and rare for other Hindus.
• Objects used in puja


  • Bell
  • Food offerings
  • Murti
  • Incense
  • Kum-kum powder
• Aarti


  A Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a puja, in which light (from a flame lit using camphor, ghee or oil) is ritually waved for the veneration of deities. Aarti also refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when the light is being offered.
• Aarti is performed up to eight times daily, varying according to Hindu traditions and temples.
• Occasions for puja


  • Daily puja at home
  • Occasional temple ceremonies
  • Annual festivals
• Lifetime events marked by puja


  • Birth of a baby
  • Wedding
  • Sacred thread ceremony
• Places where puja is performed


  • Home
  • Temples
• Puja is not mandatory in Hinduism
• Frequency of puja for Hindus


  • Routine daily affair for some
  • Periodic ritual for some
  • Rare for others
• Frequency of puja in temples


  • Various pujas performed daily at various times
  • Occasional pujas
• Bell


  To awaken the god and let them know you are ready to worship
• Food offerings


  Food, usually fruit, is given as an offering to the gods
• Murti


  A image or statue of the god being worshipped
• Incense


  • Fills the room, which reminds worshippers that Brahman is always there
  • Burnt to purify the atmosphere
• Kum-kum powder


  Marks the head of the worshipper and the god to show respect
• Aarti


  • A Hindu ritual in which light (from a flame lit using camphor, ghee or oil) is ritually waved for the veneration of deities
  • Also refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when the light is being offered