Download Is the structure of the Hindu Temple designed for a specific purpose?

Opener
Introduction to Hinduism
• Video Viewing
– As we watch the video, fill out the areas of the
chart on your Hinduism Learning Guide
Introduction
to Hindu Beliefs
• While there appears to be many gods of
Hinduism, all gods are aspects or avatars of one
single God.
• When worshipping, a person will honor the deity
that is most related to their lives.
– They select one god and focus and worship on that
one aspect of God.
– As the person grows and their needs change, they
will then pray to a different avatar or aspect of God.
– This helps them focus during worship.
• http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/main-hindu-gods-chart.html
Application:
Hinduism and its avatars
• Objective: To understand and analyze a Hindu
avatar
• Directions: Your teacher will give you a card with an
avatar of Brahmin on it. On your learning guide, you
must…
– Sketch your given figure
– Describe the avatar
• What characteristics make this avatar different from the others?
– Explain whether or not you could relate to this avatar. In
addition, describe an individual (age, gender, issues
faced in life) that might seek guidance from this avatar.
Religious Practices of Hindus
Religious Practices of Hindus
• When Hindus enter a temple, they remove their shoes
and wash their feet to show respect to a sacred place.
• Hindus perform puja, a form of worship to the god.
– Before an individual enters a temple, he or she will purchase a
basket that contains coconut, two bananas, flowers, incense,
ash and red powder. This basket is given to the priest in the
inner sanctum. He takes half of the items and returns the other
half to the bearer. Hindus believe these items now have the
power of God in it. Upon leaving the temple, the empty basket is
returned where it was purchased.
Interesting Facts
• Puja:
– Offering to Gods and Goddesses- most often a temple flower,
liquid, fruit, or other small foods
• Touching the ground:
– a way of leaving the earthly realm and entering a temple. Often
view as a sign of respect or thankfulness
• Hands clasped:
– a sign of respect and prayer not just for deities, but as a greeting
in most of India
• Kneeling:
– Like many religions, Hinduism invokes a level of humility and
prostration in a place of worship. Many visitors will kneel or bow
their heads in a temple. Similarly, visitors will avoid turning their
back or the bottoms of the feet towards the image of the deity.
Can you create a visual
example of a Hindu temple?
• Read the article entitled, “Hindu
Temple Information” and complete
the visual representation of a
Hindu temple found on the back of
the Hindu temple learning guide.
• Note! This information is on your
test, so complete all portions of
your visual example.
Pampapati Temple
www.wikipedia.org
Pampapati Temple
•
•
This surviving temple and temple
complex is the core of the village
of Hampi. It predated the empire,
and was extended between the
13th and 17th centuries. It has two
courts with entrance gopurams.
The main entrance with a 50
meter gopuram faces east into a
ceremonial and colonnaded street,
that exends for about 1 km to a
monolithic statue of Nandi.
The temple is still in use now. It is
dedicated to Virupaksha, an
aspect of Shiva and his consort
Pampa, a local deity.
Description of the
building
• The temples in
Karnataka is of first gate
is adorned by a
supercilious pyramidal
tower entirely covered
with hundreds of
sculptures and carvings
of men, women, hunting
scenes, and many other
representations, all
retreating in size as the
tower narrows toward the
top. Around all these
statues play hundreds of
monkeys. Passing that
first gate is the great
courtyard with another
similar gate, only smaller,
at the other end.
Exit Slip
Complete these questions on the
bottom of your learning guide.
• How do Hindu temples compare to
typical western structures?
• What is the most striking aspect of a
Hindu temple?
• What characteristics of this design let
you know that this structure is
sacred?
• The highly ornamented gorupums
contrast dramatically with the small,
dark, cave-like Garba Griha. Why
does this stark contrast exist?