Key terms:
Trimurti – three images, these are the three main gods in
Hinduism – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
Moksha – being free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
and becoming one with God.
Omnipotent – all-powerful
Omnipresent – everywhere at once
Omniscient – all-knowing
Omnibenevolent – all-loving
Eternal – lasts forever
Puja – a form of worship
Mandir – Hindu temple
Reincarnation – being born as something or someone else
when you die.
Karma – a sum of a person’s actions that will decide their
future. What goes around comes around.
Murti – images of the god/goddess
Hindu trimurti
Brahman
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Hindus believe in one God called
Brahman
Brahman is neither male nor female
Isn’t human, but a great power.
Brahman can appear in many
different forms either as a god or
goddess.
Hinduism
Brahma - creator
Vishnu - preserver
Shiva - destroyer
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First god of the trimurti
Created the world and all creatures
Is the least worshipped god in Hinduism
today – only 2 temples in the whole of
India devoted to him.
Has four heads and is believed these
heads came from the Vedas (religious
texts)
Often shown holding some of the Vedas
script in his hand.
Has four arms
Usually shown with a beard – shows he
has great wisdom because of his age.
Also has a water pot which is needed to
create new life.
Always concentrating on the creation of
new things.
Sometimes rides a swan.
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Second god of the trimurti
Role is to return to earth in troubled times
and restore balance of good and evil
His worshippers consider him the greatest
god.
Associated with light – like the sun.
Represented with a human body, blue
skin and four arms.
Hands always carry four objects
representing the things he is responsible
for: conch shell – the sound this produces
‘Om’, represents the sound of creation,
discus – symbolises the mind, lotus
flower – example of existence of freedom,
mace – represents mental and physical
strength.
Vishnu rides on an eagle.
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Third god of the trimurti
Believed he has powers of destruction and
recreation.
Seen as the source of both good and evil.
Known to have untamed passion, which
leads him to extreme behaviour.
Shown as a man with a blue face and
throat but white body.
Has a third eye – showing his wisdom
and the source of his untamed energy.
Has a cobra necklace – shows his power
over the most dangerous of creatures.
Has the vibhuti – 3 lines drawn
horizontally across his forehead in ash to
show his superhuman power and wealth
and to cover his third eye.
Has a trident – represents the three
functions of the trimurti.
Dresses in animal skin.
Puja
• Hindus often choose an aspect of Brahman to worship
• Most commonly worshipped aspect of Brahman is the
god Ganesh (elephant-headed god)– he is the god of
success, destroyer of evil and they pray to Ganesh for
wealth and happiness.
• Hindus say ‘aum’ while they are praying – they
believe this is the sound god makes.
A Hindu shrine
• A statue or picture of their chosen god/goddess
• A puja bell – to get the attention of the god/goddess
they are praying to.
• The Arti lamp – symbolises the offering of love to a
god/goddess. Light is very important as you need it
to see Brahman’s creation.
• Incense sticks – used to create an atmosphere of calm
and concentration.
• Tilak powder – a sign of belonging and also a sign of
blessing from a god/goddess. They dip their fingers
in the powder and create a talik on the forehead.
• Fresh fruit, flowers and water – these are offerings to
the god/goddess.
Mandir
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The word ‘mandir’ comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘house’.
What is in a mandir?
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Gopuram – first thing you see. A gateway or tower that marks the
entrance to the grounds. Often beautifully decorated with images of
Hindu gods or goddesses. Sometimes tells the stories from the life of
the god/goddess the mandir is dedicated to.
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The Guardian – between the gopuram and mandir there is a statue of
an animal which spiritually protects the shrines inside. Common ones
are Nandi the bull (associated with Shiva) and Garuda who is half
man, half eagle (associated with Vishnu).
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Ardhamandapa – porch or entrance. Where they remove shoes (keep the
mandir clean and pure) and sometimes ring a bell. Usually reached by
climbing great steps.
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Bell – sometimes people ring a bell to announce their arrival to the
gods/goddesses.
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Mandapa – main prayer hall. Represents the body.
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Garbha Griha – main shrine. Means ‘womb house’ as it symbolises the
womb or heart that gives life to the whole temple. There is a corridor or a
space left all around the garbha griha called a pradakshina. This is so
that people can walk all the way round the shrine in a clockwise
direction, keeping the shrine on their right hand side. It shows that,
just as the shrine is at the centre of the circle they make as they walk,
God is at the centre of their lives.
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Shikara – spire on the roof that represents the head of the body, and the
flags represent hair. Point upward to symbolise the journey of the soul
up to God. Also represent the Himalayas – mountains the gods are
traditionally believed to live.
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Murti – image of a god/goddess.
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Puja tray – a tray with various objects needed for worship.
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Prasad – food offered to the murtis and then shared out to worshippers
after puja. Vegetarian food only as this is the purest.
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Symbols - Mandirs are decorated with many different symbols
including: the Om (or Aum - left) which represents the one unseen
God; the lotus flower which symbolises purity and beauty in a polluted
world; and the swastika, which represents the sun and God’s blessings,
although this symbol is often misunderstood because it was used by
the Nazis, turning it into a symbol of fear for many people.
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Haveli – originally a building with rooms built around a courtyard.
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Brahmin – Hindu priest.
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Reincarnation
People believe after death, people are born again. This is based
on their actions and consequences in life.
Hindus believe whenever anyone’s actions cause negative
consequences they collect bad karma. When actions cause
positive consequences, people collect good karma. The more
good karma you have, the better your afterlife will be.
The chain of rebirth
• The lowest in the chain of rebirth is plant life, followed by insect
life, animal life, human life and then finally life as a
Brahmin (Hindu priest).
• When someone achieves the status of a Brahmin, they achieve
‘moksha’ when they die.
Hinduism
Diwali
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The festival of light
Celebrated to remember Rama and Sita’s return from banishment and after defeating
the evil demon king Ravana.
Lakshmi
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For many Indians the festival of Diwali also honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
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People start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say prayers to the
goddess for a successful year.
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Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people's homes.
How it is celebrated
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spring-cleaning the home
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wearing new clothes
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exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals
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worshipping at the temple
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Making Rangoli patterns
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lights and huge firework displays often celebrate Diwali