Hinduism Worship

By Emma Pearce and Krystle Xue

Puja
Puja is the term for Hindu worship
Worship includes images which are known as murtis
Prayers or mantras are frequently used in Puja
Diagrams of the universe, yantras, are also seen
Images or icons can be worshipped at home or at a temple

Individual rather than Communal Worship

Hindu worship:

is primarily individual and not practiced in communities

involves personal offerings to the deity
includes the repetition of the names of certain gods and goddesses and mantras
uses water, fruit, flowers, and incense as offerings

Worship at Home
All homes have a shrine for worship.
Shrines can be an entire room, a small altar, or pictures and statues of the deity.
Although worship is not communal, families will often worship together.
Rituals are performed three times a day.
Some Hindus wear special clothing while worshipping.
The Brahmin (priest) wears cotton
The Kshatriyas (ruler) wears hemp
The vaisya (merchants) wear wool

Temple Worship
In a temple, different parts of the building have different spiritual and symbolic meaning:
the center most shrine represents the heart of the worshipper
the tower is the flight of the spirit to heaven
A priest reads or recites the Vadas to the worshippers, but any twice-born Hindu can perform the
reading of the prayers and mantras.
A twice-born, or the the Dvija, is any male of the Brahmin, Kshatriyas, or Vaishyas that has
received the sacrament of initiation.

Caste

There are four sections of Hinduism

Brahmin are at the top of the caste system
Kshatriyas are the second highest

Vaishyas and Shudras are the lower level of the caste

Dalits, the lowest of the low, are excluded from the caste system and are considered untouchable.

Religious Rites
In Hinduism, there are three different categories:
Nitya
- Rituals in this category happens every day that consists of offerings that have been made in the
home shrine or performing puja.
Namikitta
- Rituals in this category is very important, however they only happen in certain times of the
year. For example, celebrations, festivals, etc.
Kamya
- Rituals in this category are optional however highly recommended, for example pilgrimage.

Worship and Pilgrimage

very important aspect of the religion

there are many sites for pilgrimage, the most popular are rivers
temples, mountains, and other sacred sites are also places to go to. Since gods may have been
there, or appeared there, or have been manifested in the world.

Kumbh Mela

happens every 12 years

up to 10 million people share this ritual

this ritual is bathing at the Kumbh Mela Festival at Allahabad where the waters of the
Ganges and Jumna combine.
they believe if they bath in the waters, their sins will be washed away
after the bathing, its followed by spiritual purification and a ceremony which
secures the blessings of the deity

the holiest river for hindus

River Ganges

Varanasi

one of the most important pilgrimage centres

also known as Benares
said to be the home of Lord Shiva, where the legend has it that his fiery light broke through the earth to
reach the heavens
if a hindu dies in Varanasi and has their ashes scattered on the Ganges is said to have had the best
death possible

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