Unit 1, Lecture 6: Hindu Temple Worship and Rituals

Temple Worship - Different days of the week associated to worship certain deities, also annual cycle - Sacred Holiday Times o Autumn Festival: festival of lights, cleaning and welcoming dieites in home with candles o Festival of Colors: throwing colored powers for Krishna, celebrating spring - Life-Cycle Rites o Birth of child, naming, marriage, death o Transform everyday space into scared space -> temples as gateway to deities § Can be home -> shrine rooms with image § Pilgrimage -> scared spots of rivers, temples, sites in India to require merit and show devotion to deity § Bhakti Yoga: Puja: ritual to cultivate love and devotion to deity by giving offerings (flower, fruit, water) creates relationship ·​ How to worship: offerings to image of deity Darshan: seeing the act of worship in which one sees a deity or guru and been seen · Can be outdoor shrines, home, morning daily basis, temples · Individual act Pujara (priest) rather than group act of praying together: having blessing of seeing image · Center of temple of cetner deity image: Garba Girha · Meeting point of heaven above the image to contain the divine presence (symbol) -> deity is called down to inhabit the image when built temple · Eyes are chiseled last to show the opening of the deity ·​ Outer courtyard to buy offerings -> take off shoes inside -> show respect to deity by putting hands together (nameste) the divine in me salutes the divine in you, bowing to you -> bell to announce presence -> clockwise right hand alwasy toward image as walks around -> pay respect to other images -> nameste to central image -> can go in with Puja and priest and give offerings to pamper the deity -> Arthi, holds tray and rings bell 3x around deity to offer light and frame of all elements, sings songs/instruments, everyone absorbs blessing one by one -> Prasada: grace offerings made to deity during Puja and given to devotees as a blessing · Can be peaceful or full as can come in different times depending on own practice · Once reach path -> can become guru Upanishads: - Asking about how many gods 300 to 1