Lakshmi - many Hindus pray to her for a happy family life and financial security. Parvati - known to be caring for others and both patient and wise. The balance of female and male is often represented in Hinduism by images of Shiva and Parvati as halves of one person. Durga - a warrior goddess who symbolises the 'hidden strength' of women, and divine opposition to evil. Other popular deities Lord Krishna - one of the most popular gods and source of many legends.
Prince Rama and Princess Sita - a beautiful love story and model for how people should live. They both demonstrate loyalty, bravery and disregard for material possessions. Hanuman - a deity in the form of a monkey, recognised for his bravery and loyalty. Many Hindus pray to Lord Hanuman for help in overcoming difficulties. A series of good lives will break this cycle, leading to the ultimate absorption of the soul into Brahman.
Bhagavad Gita is one of the many holy books of Hindus. It teaches that salvation comes through devotion and good deeds. The temple or mandir is the spiritual and community centre for Hindus.
Each family will have a small shrine in their own home for daily worship. The University is an exempt charity under the Charities Act Description Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Parvati - regarded as a representation of Shakti.
Parvati is the wife of Lord Shiva and the Godess of household and motherhood. Shakti is by literal definition sacred force, power, or energy. Shakti is the personnification of Brahman as feminine. Ganesha - Son of Shiva and Parvati. Description The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant.
Pictures and descriptions of Hindu Gods. Images of Hindu Gods updated link. Most Hindus worship puja every day at home and have a shrine there.
A shrine can be anything from a room, a small altar or simply pictures or statues. Family members often worship together. At the shrine, Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a sacred stautue of God, or a god or goddess. The Hindu building for communal worship is called Mandir Hindu Temple. The temples are dedicated to different gods and are the focus of religious life. Outside India, people mainly gather at the mandir at the weekend.
Worshippers repeat the names of their favourite gods, goddesses, and the mantras. Water, fruit, flowers and incense are offered to the gods. The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. Hindus have developed their system of worship and beliefs from the scriptures.
There are two main categories of the Hindu scriptures: Shruti "that which is heard" consists of the four Vedas and Upanishads scriptures. The Hindu Holy Scriptures are mainly comprised of the following works written in the Sanskrit language:. The Upanisads - These consider the nature of the individual soul Atman and the universal soul Brahman. One of the Upanishads contains the earliest reference to the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies transmigration of the soul.
Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman.
The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Puranas - A collection of ancient tales about the different incarnations and the lives of saints. The Vedas are the oldest religious texts in Hinduism. The word Veda means knowledge.
It is believed that the Vedas were orally revealed by Brahma to certain sages, who heard them and passed them down in an oral tradition. They were not written down; in fact this was prohibited. Because of this earliest oral tradition continuing even now when the Vedas are available in the written form, the Vedas are still known to be Sruti or shruti - ' that which is heard '. The Vedas are mainly comprised of of hymns or mantras written in the Sanskrit language.
They cover various subjects, from nature to everyday life and behaviour, and form the basis of all other religious writings. The books are so special that they are often kept in glass cases. The Vedas are the law. Most beliefs, concepts, and ceremonies are based on information contained in the Vedas. The practice of Hinduism consists of rites and ceremonies centering on birth, marriage, and death.
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