Free Essay Example - Hindu Temples

A new Hindu temple started in January 1985, in Lemont. As a procedure for opening the temple, Brahmin carried out some rituals to honor the gods, which was a significant occasion. The sacred images of Hanuman, Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were protected using decorated umbrellas as they went to the temple. Women carried water, coconut, and flowers as indicators of how the occasion was significant while shouting praises to Rama. Inside the shrines, the purification of images was carried out using honey, water, and milk. Placing his hands on the chest of the image and says words that seemed to bring life to the picture. The first sight of the deity (Rama) should fall on something favorable because if it falls on a negative image, it may cause disaster to the world. To avoid the agony, the priest places a mirror in front of the deity to ensure it sees its image.

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After performing the rituals at the deities in the new temple are ready to welcome worshipers. In the morning, daily rituals are conducted by the priests to awaken, feed, bathe, and dress the images. Before entering the temple, the devotees go through purification, which includes bathing and removing shoes. After the cleaning, the deities give "darshan," which is seeing to the devotees. Yoga is one of the Hindu practices in the temples and also referred to as discipline. It is believed that yoga controls the mind and the body of the worshiper to concentrate on worship. People who practice yoga are referred to as Yogis. Yogis usually show mental and physical discipline, so create a good bond with the Divine. Lineages of the yogis depend on the preferred deities. Some of the families include; Vaisnava who are devoted to Visnu, Saiva lineages dedicated to Siva, and Sakta devoted to the Godless. Hindus have teachers referred to as Guru, and families align with different gurus.

The United States has different types of temples which are either Western or Indian. A temple may house one deities or many deities. Temples play several roles in society and to Hindus. Some of the functions include; young Hindus can learn how to play table (drum), the scriptures, and Seva (service), which include cleaning temples. Additionally, they gain knowledge and experience on how to become Hindu leaders such as priests. As a result of attending the temples, the Hindus can participate in the rituals. Visiting the temples also brings a sense of peace as one meets the other Hindus. Hindu scriptures stress so much on the male deities, although the female deities play a central role in the temples. A goddess, referred to as Amma (mother), usually represent tremendous power and fertility of creation. Goddess shiva represents creation and destruction; also, it serves both male and female because it has one side of male while the other gives a manly look.

The son of Shiva is referred to as Ganesh and is one of the favorite Hindu deities and can be noticed since he has an elephant head. People pray to him for businesses, marriage, and times of fortunes. Hindus have fasting days where they do not eat any food or eat a given type of food. The Hindu calendar is entirely based on the moon's cycle. For example, the festival of lights, which is an all-India festival, is observed in November or October. Hindu temples and their followers mostly follow Indian traditions. The temples in the US are under the leadership of the Indian immigrants in the country. Many young Hindus find it to explain the rituals to the classmates in the United States.