A Visit to the Temple - Dallas County Community College District
A Visit to the Temple:
Customs, Social Orientations and Ritual Practices
Associated with Hindu Temple Worship
2007 Fulbright ‐ Hays Seminar in South India
Curriculum Project
Submitted by Mark E.
Hanshaw, Ph.D.
Richland College
Dallas, Texas
A Visit to the Temple:
Customs, Social Orientations and Ritual Practices
Associated with Hindu Temple Worship
2007 Fulbright ‐ Hays Seminar in South India
Submitted by Mark E.
Hanshaw, Ph.D.
Richland College
Dallas, Texas
Introduction to the Project
This curricular project is designed to be used in an introductory ‐ level college course in Religious Studies,
Humanities, Anthropology, or, perhaps, Sociology.
The focus of this project relates to the question of the role of the temple in Indian life.
It focuses particularly upon temples associated with the practice of varying strands of the larger Hindu faith complex.
At its heart, this project is concerned with the idea of sacred space and how Hindus may respond to notions of sacred space.
While, this project focuses upon
Hindu culture predominantly, many of the ideas explored may resonate with the experience of members
of a variety of social and religious cultures.
This project stems from visits made to a variety of religious and sacred sites located throughout
Southern India, but particularly in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
These visits were a part of a 2007 Fulbright ‐ Hays program conducted in Southern India, made possible through the generous support of the Fulbright Commission.
The Fulbright ‐ Hays team, consisting of a mixture of faculty members from Austin College of Sherman, Texas, and Richland College, of Dallas, Texas, along with High
School educators from across Dallas County, spent approximately one month in Southern India, working with local educators and scholars and exploring primary religious and cultural sites.
The goal of this
Fulbright ‐ Hays project was to offer educators the opportunities to explore the distinctive nature of
South India culture and to craft creative mechanisms for introducing this culture to both secondary and collegiate ‐ level students.
The desire of participants on this Fulbright ‐ Hays team was to overcome general stereotypes and
assumptions that may affect the manner in which we see and understand the cultures of the people of
India, and, ultimately, to capture and communicate a truer sense of life upon the India Subcontinent.
The primary goal of this curriculum project is to encourage students to identify and explore cultural and religious practices that might be attributed to certain aspects of the larger Hindu society.
As well, this project is designed to prompt students to consider the manner in which the idea of sacred space may be interpreted differently by inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent, versus the dominant cultures of the
Americas.
In many regards, the cultural and religious practices associated with the idea of sacred space and embraced by many Hindus may be most vividly exemplified in and through the activities associated with the temple.
It suffices to say that one cannot travel in India without being struck by the magnificent religious structures that seem to dominate almost every city and village.
Yet, these temples may often be considered by non ‐ Hindus for their aesthetic appeal alone.
This project aims at encouraging the development among students of a broader sense of the vital role such temples may
play in the private and public social order of Indian society.
What is the ultimate purpose of this project?
I desire to encourage students, through this project, to explore and consider a particular social perspective upon the interpretation of the world we share.
In offering this project, the intent is not to afford preference to any particular social perspective or to diminish contrary ways of interpreting or interacting with our human environment.
Instead, the purpose
of this project is merely to encourage students to recognize the multiplicity of ways that humans may encounter our world and to prompt inquiry into the ways in which such perspectives affect our social
sphere.
Ultimately, it is my hope that this project will be of use to a wide variety of faculty, instructors and teachers.
It should not be assumed that this project is only accessible by those with particular expertise in the field of Hindu studies.
It does not require a thorough understanding of Hindu or Indian religious or social culture, specifically.
Instead, it is my hope that it will serve as the point of beginning for the consideration of such topics as the nature of ritual, cultural institutions and collective social behaviors.
This project does include information regarding various resources that may be consulted in the preparation for the use of this project.
Historical and Cultural Background
Regarding Hindu Temples and Worship
Temples often serve as the primary, though not exclusive, seat of religious practice within the Hindu system of worship.
Temples may serve a variety of purposes for Hindus, among them providing a point of communal gathering, establishing a cosmological blueprint for the design of the sphere of human existence, cultivating a ritual orientation that may guide the social order, reinforcing certain cultural hierarchies and strengthening cultural institutions.
In an effort to capture the place of the Temple within the larger social sphere, The Smithsonian Institute’s Internet site devoted to the study of Asia
describes Hindu temples in this way:
A Hindu temple is believed to be the earthly seat of a deity and the place where the deity waits for its devotees.
As such, temple structures are sacred spaces where gods partake of human offerings and in which the people can be with the gods.
Many temples resemble palace architecture; this is not surprising, as deities are often considered kings.
Temples are normally dedicated to one primary god.
Often they are elaborately decorated on the outside with stone or plaster carvings depicting religious stories, and their decoration is specific to the deity being worshiped.
Mythological scenes are juxtaposed with scenes of everyday life and important political events, such as royal coronations, conquests, and celebrations, or with portraits of royal and secular patrons.
These divine images and mythological scenes on the outer walls of the temple help worshipers recall the sacred stories they have heard or read.
The origins of Hindu temple architecture date back to at least several centuries prior to the commencement of the Christian era, but the practices were cultivated and enhanced through successive ruling dynasties that governed portions of the Indian Subcontinent from the 4 th
through the 17 th
centuries C.E.
Today, there are precise conventions that govern both the structure and design of Hindu temples and the deities that reside within them, though these conventions may differ depending upon prevailing local culture and custom.
Among the most distinctive temples may be the brightly colored
Dravidian structures of South India.
The image of the elaborately decorated temple has become synonymous with Hindu religious culture itself, for many.
Indeed, the temple may be an appropriate place to begin any genuine encounter with
Hindu culture.
This set of lesson plans seeks to prompt an examination and consideration of not just the
temple, but the way of life cultivated within it.
1[1]
http://www.asia.si.edu/pujaonline/puja/temples.html
A large part of the religious ritual associated with the temple is the conduct of puja .
The term puja derives from the Sanskrit root puj , which means to make an offering.
In essence, the term refers to the ritualized practice associated with the worship of a particular deity by a Hindu.
Such practice is most typically associated with worship within a temple, but may also be conducted at a private shrine within
one’s home or in a natural environment.
Again, turning to the Smithsonian Institute’s Internet site, puja is described in this manner:
Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals.
An essential part of puja for the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine.
Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print.
During puja an image or other symbol of the god serves as a means of gaining access to the divine.
This icon is not the deity itself; rather, it is believed to be filled with the deity's cosmic energy.
It is a focal point for honoring and communicating with the god.
For the devout Hindu, the icon's artistic merit is important, but is secondary to its spiritual content.
The objects are created as receptacles for spiritual energy that allow the devotee to experience direct communication with his or her gods.
Since puja is associated with the very act of worship in the Hindu faith, a consideration of it plays an
important part in the broader consideration of the role and place of the temple.
Brief Overview of Lessons
Lesson One: This lesson is designed to encourage students to begin to think about the role the temple plays in the lives of individuals and communities within the Hindu religious system.
This lesson focuses
upon one facility, the Shri Meenakshi Temple, as an exemplar of the larger system of temples scattered across India and beyond.
Lesson Two: This lesson is designed to encourage students to begin considering the significance of design elements and ritual procedures associated with temple structures, as these affect not only the
Hindu system of faith, but the general worldview of Hindu practitioners.
Lesson Three: This lesson is designed to prompt students to consider the ideas of sacred space and time and to provide a system of meaning relative to the entire sphere of human existence.
Lesson Four: This final lesson focuses upon the structure of Hindu religious ritual conducted within the temple, known as puja .
This lesson prompts a consideration of the significance of the key components
of puja and issues associated with the nature and use of iconic images in ritual activity.
Required Materials
The Great Temple of Madurai (Madurai: Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar, 2004).
Balaram Iyer, T.G.S., History and Description of Shri Meenakshi Temple (Madurai: Shri Karthik Agency).
Batchelor, Anthony, The Hindu Temple , www.indiantemples.com
.
2[2]
M. Tachikawa, s. Hino and L. Deodhar, Puja and Samskara (New Delhi: Motilal Pub., 2006), p. 3.
3[3]
“Puja,” website of the Smithsonian Institute Asia Program (available at http://www.asia.si.edu/pujaonline/puja/temples.html
).
Champakalakshmi, R., The Hindu Temple (New Delhi: Lustre Press, 2001).
Eck, D., Darshan: Seeing the Divine Image in India (New York: Columbia Univ.
Press, 1998).
Kak, Subhash, “Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple,” a paper Presented at Vaastu Kaushal:
International Symposium on Science and Technology in Ancient Indian Monuments, New Delhi,
November 16 ‐ 17, 2002 [available at www.ece.isu.edu/kak/time2.pdf
].
Kollar, L.
Peter, Symbolism in Hindu Architecture (New Delhi: Aryan Books, 2002).
Tachikawa, M., S.
Hino and L.
Deodhar, Puja and Samskara (New Delhi: Motilal Pub., 2006).
www.madarai.com
.
www.indiantemples.com
.
http://www.asia.si.edu/pujaonline/puja/temples.html
.
http://archive.ely.anglican.org/education/2004/schools/documents/notesforicons.pdf
.
Lesson One: The Shri Meenakshi Temple: Gateway to the Gods
Subject Areas:
This lesson invites students to explore a specific temple site in Southern India as a beginning point for the broader series of lessons.
This lesson incorporates a variety of themes that may have relevance for
any course that focuses upon global issues and culture, religion or social organization.
Time:
This lesson is intended to be utilized over the course of 1 ‐ 2 class periods.
Overview:
This lesson provides students with the opportunity to place the Shri Meenakshi temple of Madurai, India
geographically, as well as to explore its history, the myth and traditions associated with it and to consider it as a representative example of a subset of South Indian Hindu temples.
Objectives:
Students will:
Identify the geographical location of the temple and attributes of the Southern Indian region that is its home;
Analyze myths, stories and traditions associated with the temple and the deities associated with it;
Compare and contrast the structure with other religious facilities that they may be familiar with.
Materials:
Students will need access to the texts and articles cited below and computers with Internet access.
Internet access, with specific focus on the Internet sites: www.indiantemples.com
, and www.madurai.com
.
The Great Temple of Madurai (Madurai: Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar, 2004), pp.
74 ‐ 135.
T.G.S
Balaram Iyer, History and Description of Shri Meenakshi Temple (Madurai: Shri Karthik
Agency), pp.
7 ‐ 16, 39 ‐ 48.
Procedure:
1.
Background
This initial lesson is designed to provide students with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with one of India’s most famous temples.
The Shri Meenakshi temple overtakes the ancient city of Madurai, sprawling over the area of several city blocks.
The city skyline is dominated by the four giant and elaborately decorated gateways or gopurams that stand at each entrance to the
temple.
These gateways stand at a height equivalent to a 10 story office building.
The city of Madurai, known as the City of Temples, seems to draw it energy from the temple.
The business district of the city encircles the temple.
The city market flows from the East
entrance of the temple.
A constant stream of worshippers, pilgrims and sightseers moves into and out of the temple.
The temple was constructed between 1623 and 1655 C.E., though its original outer walls were said to date back to the 13 th
century.
Some form of temple appears to have been located at this site since at least the 7 th
century.
The present temple was dedicated to two local deities, the
Goddess Meenakshi and the God Sundarewarar.
These deities would later become associated with the more popular Hindu deities Parvati and Shiva.
Interestingly, it is the Goddess who plays the central role in this temple, resting in the inner sanctum.
Shiva resides in a secondary chamber.
As a part of the ritual associated with the temple, the Shiva icon is paraded each
evening through the structure’s innermost passages and brought to rest with his wife
Meenakshi/Parvati.
There are many mythic narratives associated with the temple.
Perhaps, the best ‐ known narrative recounts the story of the miraculous birth of Meenakshi from a temple ceremonial fire as the mortal king and queen’s daughter.
She would grow to become the chief monarch and a tireless warrior against evil spirits.
At the conclusion of one great battle, she would meet the
God Shiva and the pair would be married at the site of the Shri Meenakshi temple at Madurai according to the legendary account.
2.
Article Analysis
Have your students read and discuss the following texts: The Great Temple at Madurai , pp.
74 ‐
135; T.G.S
Balaram Iyer, History and Description of Shri Meenakshi Temple , pp.
16 ‐ 35, 39 ‐ 48.
Use the article to initiate discussion regarding the temple as sacred space and the myths associated with it.
Some of the following questions may be considered for the purpose of
sparking discussion:
What purpose does the Hindu temple structure serve?
How do the Hindu deities compare with those recognized by other religious traditions?
What is the relationship between the divine and the temple space?
What is the social significance of identifying the Shri Meenakshi temple site as the place of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati?
What is the significance of the temple design?
3.
Viewing the Temple
The magic of available Internet resources is that students may now come closer than ever before to such structures as the Shri Meenakshi temple without leaving the classroom.
By using varying sources, this part of the lesson encourages students to consider the significance of the design attributes of the temple.
Students should begin this exercise by being asked to geographically locate the city of Madurai on a map.
They would then be asked to locate several resources detailing the information related to this city and the role the temple plays in it.
As well, a series of detailed photographs of the Shri Meenakshi temple may be found at the Internet site www.madurai.com
.
Students should use these resources to craft a 2 ‐ 3 page essay concerning the place of the temple in the life of modern Hindu cities and communities.
Lesson Two: The Temple: From Community to Cosmos
Subject Areas:
This lesson is one that may be utilized in the context of any course that is focused upon global culture, religion or social organization.
Time:
This lesson is intended to be utilized over the course of 1 ‐ 2 class periods.
Overview:
This lesson is focused upon the question of the role the Temple plays in the daily life of Hindus and how understandings associated with the Temple shape broader social perspectives.
This exploration will be
undertaken through the examination of particular literature and other available resources.
Objectives:
Students will:
Identify key terms associated with the design and structure of Hindu temples;
Analyze materials to glean insight and understanding regarding the social role played by temple structures;
Compare and contrast the role temples may play in Indian society with the roles played by religious structures in other social environments.
Materials:
Students will need access to the texts and articles cited below and computers with Internet access.
Internet access, with specific focus on the Internet sites: www.indiantemples.com
, and www.madurai.com.
R.
Champakalakshmi, The Hindu Temple (New Delhi: Lustre Press, 2001).
Procedure:
1.
Background
This set of assignments begins with the introduction of key concepts associated with temple placement, design and construction.
The temple plays a multiplicity of roles in the life of the Hindu faithful.
In an effort to introduce this subject, you may turn to a description such as the following:
The temple is the focus for all aspects of everyday life in the Hindu community ‐ religious, cultural, educational and social.
The temple is also the place where one can transcend the world of man.
Hindus believe that their lives are merely stages in the progression to ultimate enlightenment.
The temple is a place where God may be approached and where divine knowledge can be discovered.
All aspects of the Hindu temple focus on the goal of enlightenment and liberation ‐ the principles of design and construction, the forms of its architecture and decoration, and the rituals performed.
And all of these are determined by ancient texts called shastras compiled by the priests, the brahmins.
The vastushastras were theoretical and idealized descriptions of the architectural traditions and conventions to be followed.
The temple is designed to dissolve the boundaries between man and the divine.
Not merely his abode, the temple ‘is’ God.
God and therefore by implication the whole universe is identified with the temple’s design and actual fabric.
The ground plan is perhaps the best example.
The vastushastras describe it as a symbolic, miniature representation of the cosmos.
It is based on a strict grid made up of squares and equilateral triangles which are imbued with deep religious significance.
To the Indian priest ‐ architect the square was an absolute and mystical form.
The grid, usually of 64 or
81 squares, is in fact a mandala, a model of the cosmos, with each square belonging to a deity.
The position of the squares is in accordance with the importance attached to each of the deities, with the square in the center representing the temple deity; the outer squares cover the gods of lower rank.
Engage students in a conversation about the ways in which religious structures are used in this
country.
Begin to focus them in on the task of differentiating the uses of such structures from the roles played by Indian Hindu temples.
2.
Article Analysis
Have your students read and discuss the following excerpts: R.
Champakalakshmi, The Hindu
Temple , pp.
9 ‐ 28; Anthony Batchelor, The Hindu Temple , www.indiantemples.com.
Use the article to initiate discussion.
Some of the following questions may be considered for the purpose of sparking discussion:
What surprised you most about this article?
What are some of the key design traits of Hindu temples?
What are these design traits meant to symbolize?
In a typical day, how may a Hindu interact with the temple?
How is such interaction similar to or different from the way in which you may interact with religious structures in your own community?
3.
Key Terms
Based upon their readings and other outside sources they may have engaged, have your students define the following terms associated with temple structure.
They may work in small groups on this assignment.
4[4]
Anthony Batchelor, The Hindu Temple, www.indiantemples.com
(July 1997).
Terms:
Brahmin – A member of the priestly caste.
Darshan – The act of encountering the divine through viewing the iconic deity in the temple.
Dravidian – Temple construction style typical of South India.
Garbhagriha – Meaning “womb,” refers to the inner sanctum of the temple.
Gopuram – The gateway or entrance to the temple.
Mandala – A geometric design thought to symbolize the sacred cosmos.
Prasadam – Offerings made to the divinity, usually food.
Puja – Ritual worship.
Sannyasi – One who has entered into a life of renunciation.
Vastupurusha – The cosmological plan of the temple.
Vedas – The earliest known scriptures written in Sanskrit.
4.
Compare/contrast
Utilizing the following website, have students identify specific features of the Hindu temple and
compare these with the traits of other religious structures they have encountered.
Website: www.madurai.com
Relying upon materials read for this assignment, web resources considered and other external
sources identified, have student write a brief essay comparing and contrasting the role of the temple in the lives of Hindus with the role played by religious structures in the West.
This project may be expanded by requiring students to undertake outside research and using this to support the thesis of their essays.
Lesson Three: Seeing the Heavens on Earth
Subject Areas:
This lesson is one that may be utilized in the context of any course that is focused upon global culture or
social organization.
Time:
This lesson is intended to be utilized over the course of 1 ‐ 2 class periods.
Overview:
This lesson is focused upon the manner in which Hindu temples are designed to reflect the very nature
and shape of the cosmos.
Thus, this assignment poses the question of how the temple affects the manner in which Hindus may interpret the world around them.
Objectives:
Students will:
Identify key terms associated with the design and structure of Hindu temples;
Analyze materials to glean insight and understanding regarding the social role played by temple structures;
Compare and contrast the role temples may play in Indian society with the roles played by religious structures in other social environments.
Materials:
Students will need access to the texts and articles cited below and computers with Internet access.
Internet access, with specific focus on the Internet sites: www.indiantemples.com
, and www.madurai.com.
L.
Peter Kollar, Symbolism in Hindu Architecture (New Delhi: Aryan Books, 2002).
Subhash Kak, “Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple,” a paper Presented at Vaastu
Kaushal: International Symposium on Science and Technology in Ancient Indian Monuments,
New Delhi, November 16 ‐ 17, 2002 [available at www.ece.isu.edu/kak/time2.pdf].
Procedure:
1.
Background
This set of assignments represents a continuation and expansion of certain themes introduced in Lesson Two.
In particular, this lesson is designed to encourage students to consider the manner in which religious traditions may cultivate and convey specific methodologies for interpreting the realm of human experience.
In describing the temple as a living metaphor representing the cosmos, one author has observed the following:
According to the Sthapatya Veda (the Indian tradition of architecture), the temple and the town should mirror the cosmos.
The temple architecture and the city plan are, therefore, related in their conception….
The Harappan cities (ancient pre ‐ Vedic planned communities of Northern India and Southeastern Pakistan) have a grid plan, just as is recommended in the Vedic manuals.
The square shape represents the heavens, with the four directions representing the cardinal directions as well as the two solstices and the equinoxes of the sun’s orbit.
A late example of a city designed according to the Vedic precepts is Jaipur.
Vidyadhara, who designed the plan of the city, used the pithapada mandala as the basis.
In this mandala of nine squares that represents the universe, the central square is occupied by the earth.
In the city, which consists of nine large squares, the central square is assigned to the royal palace.
The astronomical monuments of Maharaja Jai Singh II may also be seen as embodiments of the Vedic altars.
Specific conventions governing the construction of Hindu temples seek to ensure that these structures accurately depict and represent an understanding of the nature of the cosmos that reflects key spiritual themes.
Such themes may, then, serve to shape the way in which ardent
followers of the Hindu tradition interpret the world that surrounds them.
This lesson prompts students to consider the implications of Vedic temple architecture upon the communities served by the structures created.
5[5]
Subhash Kak, “Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple,” a paper Presented at Vaastu Kaushal: International
Symposium on Science and Technology in Ancient Indian Monuments, New Delhi, November 16 ‐ 17, 2002
[available at www.ece.isu.edu/kak/time2.pdf].
2.
Article Analysis
Have your students read and discuss the following texts: Peter Kollar, Symbolism in Hindu
Architecture , pp.
3 ‐ 42, 54 ‐ 71; Subhash Kak, “Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple”.
Use the article to initiate discussion.
Some of the following questions may be considered for the purpose of sparking discussion:
What do we mean by the term cosmos?
How do Hindu temples reflect understandings related to the nature of the cosmos?
In what way might the temple structure be said to reflect the very body of the divine?
What message is subtly conveyed by the temple structure regarding the relationship of humankind to the divine?
How is this done?
Can we find parallels between the symbolism conveyed in Hindu temple architecture and symbolism invoked by other religious communities?
3.
Key Terms
Based upon their readings and other outside sources they may have engaged, have your
students define the following terms associated with temple structure.
They may work in small groups on this assignment.
Terms:
Atman – The divine self.
Brahman – The divine creator.
Devi – Goddess.
Lingam – Stone pillar that serves to symbolize the god Shiva.
Meenakshi (Minakshi) – The goddess after which is named the great temple at Madurai; a local goddess associated with Shiva’s consort Parvati.
Naga – Serpent.
Samsara – The endless cycle of manifestation.
Shakti – The divine female essence; the goddess.
Shiva – Central god of the Hindu trinity representing destruction.
Vishnu – Central god of the Hindu trinity representing preservation.
4.
Compare/contrast
Have students undertake library/web searches for articles that discuss issues related to the symbolic function of religious architecture.
Encourage students to focus upon religious
traditions other then Hinduism.
A significant number of scholarly resources are available concerning symbolism in Christian and Muslim architecture.
Based upon their research have students present orally in class a brief synopsis of key issues/ideas exposed in one article discovered.
Through discussion, encourage students to consider the ways in which Hindu sacred
architecture is similar to and different from the sacred architecture of other religious movements.
Lesson Four: The Worship of the Gods
Subject Areas:
This lesson is one that may be utilized in the context of any course that is focused upon global culture or
social organization.
Time:
This lesson is intended to be utilized over the course of 1 ‐ 2 class periods.
Overview:
This lesson prompts students to consider the process of worship in the Hindu temple, known as puja .
This exploration will be conducted through the exploration of particular literature and other available resources.
Objectives:
Students will:
Identify key terms associated with the practice of Hindu Worship;
Analyze materials to glean insight and understanding regarding the social role played by cultic ritual;
Compare and contrast ideas and practices associated with worship in Indian society with those of other social/religious environments.
Materials:
Students will need access to the texts and articles cited below and computers with Internet access.
Internet access.
M.
Tachikawa, S.
Hino and L.
Deodhar, Puja and Samskara (New Delhi: Motilal Pub., 2006).
D.
Eck, Darshan: Seeing the Divine Image in India (New York: Columbia Univ.
Press, 1998).
Procedure:
1.
Background
Puja is a complex ritual.
It is typically led by a temple priest in the temple structure and involves preparatory steps, the making of an offering and, ultimately, connection with the deity labeled by the term darshan .
This set of assignments is aimed at giving students insight into this complex ritual process.
Puja is considered by Hindus to be an act reverence directed toward the divine.
Puja may include prayer, song and other formal rituals.
Typically, Hindus engage in puja once or twice in a day, either through rituals undertaken at the temple or those performed at a private altar, usually in one’s home.
There are differing puja rituals that may be employed for various
occasions, including weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.
Certain iconic images are typically used during puja and serve as the focus of the ritual.
The iconic image is not understood to be the divine, but is considered to be a vehicle or medium
through which the divine can be accessed.
Perhaps, the culmination of puja may be darshan .
The Sanskrit term darshan means “to see.”
It refers to the act of seeing or being seen by the divine.
Dianna Eck describes darshan in this way:
The central act of Hindu worship...is
to stand in the presence of the deity and to behold the image with ones own eyes, to see and by seen by the deity....Since, in the Hindu understanding, the deity is present in the image, the visual apprehension of the image is charged with religious meaning.
Beholding the image is an act of worship, and through the eyes one gains the blessing of the divine.
This unit encourages students to begin to think about the nature of religious ritual and the purposes it may serve in terms of reinforcing a worshipper’s understanding of his or her faith tradition and offering a system for seeing and ordering events of life.
Thus, puja may be seen as
affecting one’s cultural and social worldviews.
2.
Article Analysis
Have your students read and discuss the following excerpts: M.
Tachikawa, et al., Puja &
Samskara , pp.
3 ‐ 60; D.
Eck, Darshan , pp.
3 ‐ 43.
Use the articles to initiate discussion.
Some of the following questions may be considered for the purpose of sparking discussion:
What does one do when they engage in puja ?
What do we mean by darshan ?
What are the acts associated with puja meant to symbolize?
How are the iconic images utilized in puja understood?
How many gods are worshipped within the Hindu system?
3.
Key Terms
Based upon their readings and other outside sources they may have engaged, have your students define the following terms associated with temple structure.
They may work in small groups on this assignment.
Terms:
Aniconic – A representation of the divine in the form of a natural element, such as a mountain, tree or rock formation.
Anthropomorphic – The assignment of human qualities to an image, substance or idea.
Bhakti – The act of devotional worship.
Iconic – An image or representation of a sacred or sanctified being.
Mantra – A chant or prayer.
Monism – The worship of a singular pervasive divine.
Murti – An iconic image of a particular deity.
Polytheism – The worship of multiple divinities.
Rig Veda – The earliest of the Vedas.
Samskara – Specific worship rituals performed at certain occasions.
4.
Compare/contrast
Utilizing the following website and other materials included in this lesson, have students
consider the use of iconic images in the Hindu system of worship and in the Christian system.
6[6]
D. Eck, Darshan , p. 12.
Website: http://archive.ely.anglican.org/education/2004/schools/documents/notesforicons.pdf
Relying upon these materials, and others that the students may discover, have students write a brief essay comparing and contrasting the role of iconic images in the worship of Hindus and
Christians.
This project may be expanded by requiring students to undertake outside research and utilizing this research to support the thesis of their essays.
Bibliography of Resources
Boner, A., Principles of Composition in Hindu Sculpture .
E.J.
Brill, Leiden, 1962.
Champakalakshmi, R.
and Usha Kris.
The Hindu Temple .
Roli Books, New Delhi, 2002.
Eck, D., Darshan: Seeing the Divine Image in India.
Columbia Univ.
Press, New York, 1998.
Harshananda, S.
All About Hindu Temples .
Sri Ramamkrishna, Madras, 2006.
Huntington, S., The Art of Ancient India .
Weatherhill, New York, 1985.
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