Hindu Worship: Puja

1
Hindu Worship Puja

• Aim To know what puja is and to understand why
  it is important for Hindus.

2
Puja

• What you will learn
• What Puja is.
• Why Hindus carry out Puja.
• What are the advantages of puja in the home.
• What are the advantages of puja in the temple.

3
Puja

• Write down the things you do as a matter of
  routine from the moment you wake in the morning
  to the moment you go to sleep at night.
• What is so important in your routine that you
  would feel totally lost if you forgot to do it?
  Anything?

4
Hindu Worship

• Hindus believe their religion affects everything
  they do, so everything in their life is worship.
• Particular forms of worship may include repeating
  names of God, listening to or reading the holy
  books, or making offerings.

5
Puja

• Puja is the most common form of worship.
• It can be very simple or complicated.
• It involves making an offering to an image or
  picture of one of the gods or goddesses.
• An image is called a MURTI, which mean form.
• A murti is intended to help people worship as it
  shows a quality of Brahman

6
Puja

• Puja is a daily routine for Hindus.
• Puja is an act of daily worship.
• Puja is made at least once a day, usually in the
  morning.
• It is a simple form of worship using Mantras
  (prayers) and making offerings.
• At the end of Puja, any food offered to the god -
  usually rice - is shared out amongst the
  worshippers.
• This food is known as prashad.

7
The Practice of Puja

• Hindus are normally devoted to one God Shiva,
  Krishna, Ganesh, Kali etc. but they may worship
  other gods as well.
• At the heart of a Hindu home, and the focus of
  worship is the shrine.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Shrines

• A shrine is a special holy place.
• A Hindu house always has a shrine where the
  murtis or pictures are kept.
• Sometimes it is very simple, just a shelf on a
  wall, while other shrines may be beautifully
  decorated.
• If the house is large it may be in a special room
  otherwise it is usually in the kitchen or
  mothers bedroom.
• The murti is surrounded by flowers and perfume.

10
The Practice of Puja

• Worship at home takes place at least once a day.
• The point is to spend time in the presence of God
  so Hindus prepare for it and perform it
  carefully.
• If there is a murti in the shrine it is washed,
  dried and touched with special coloured powders.
• It may have flowers hung around it.

11
(No Transcript)
12
The Practice of Puja

• Food, water and flowers are offered but the gifts
  do not need to be large or expensive, a grain of
  rice or flower petal are enough.
• While they are making puja Hindus repeat mantras
  - usually verses from holy books.
• They may begin with sacred word Aum.
• Worshippers do not wear shoes.

13

• The image of the god is awakened by the
  lighting of a flame (Agni) and by the sound of
  the prayer (Mantra), the playing of music (Raga)
  or the ringing of the bell.

14

• Incense is burned and Arti performed before the
  image this is when the tray of candles is
  passed round and their fire and light becomes the
  focus of worship.

15

• The worshipper will then put his/her hands
  together and raise them to the forehead or the
  breast. A drop of holy water is drunk.

16

• A Picca (or Tilak) mark is placed on the
  forehead, and worshippers leave with their
  prashad.

17

• All five senses have been awakened to begin the
  day.
• Q. In what ways are the five senses awakened
  during puja?

18
Worship in the Temple
19
Worship in the Temple

• In India, every village will have a temple or
  Mandir.
• Some of the temples are very grand but many are
  very simple.
• They are usually shaped like mountains as this is
  where the gods dwell and a mandir is seen as the
  meeting point between heaven and earth.
• Mandirs are usually associated with one
  particular deity and will often have larger and
  more spectacular murtis

20
Worship in the Temple
21
Worship in the Temple

• The shrine housing the image is the holiest part
  of the temple and will be placed directly below
  the spire.
• This is called the garbha griha.
• Although people are not permitted to touch the
  murti, people will often walk around them, or
  even prostrate themselves before the deity.
• Seeing the deity is known as Darshan

22
A Garbha Griha
23
Worship in the Temple

• Puja in the mandir is conducted by priests
  (Brahmins) and their helpers.
• But much of what happens during Puja in the
  temple is similar to what happens at home
• Shoes are removed
• Bells are rung
• Images are cleaned and prepared
• Incense is burnt and food is offered as prashad

24
Worship in the Temple

• The key part of worship in the temple is the Arti
  ceremony
• As the worshippers sing Bhajans (hymns) A lighted
  lamp is waved in front of the deity to take on
  some of their power.
• Then the priest emerges from the garbha griha and
  allows them to pass their hands over the flame
  and then over their faces and heads to take on
  some of the power.

25
Q. Explain what happens during puja in a temple.

• Shoes are removed as a mark of respect.
• Gifts (food, fruit, flowers, etc) are taken to
  the shrine room to be laid before the statues as
  offerings to the deities.
• Bhajan the singing of special hymns to show
  devotion.
• Havan the lighting of a small fire (wood and
  ghee) to sacrifice to the deities.
• Arti a tray containing five lights is waved in
  front of the statues by the Brahmin to bless the
  deities. The flames are taken round worshippers
  who run their hands over the flames before wiping
  their hands over their heads. Hindus believe that
  when they do this they receive the power of God.
• A tilak is placed on the forehead to show that
  the person has been to worship.

26
Puja takes place on a daily basis.Do you think
daily worship is helpful for Hindus living in
Scotland today?

• Helpful
• Maintains religious traditions in increasingly
  secular society.
• Maintains Hinduism in a non-Hindu country.
• Enables Hindus to express themselves and their
  religious sentiments freely.
• Not helpful
• Daily puja is too time consuming work demands
  etc.
• Daily puja has no place in an increasingly
  secular society.
• Daily puja might lead to feelings of
  resentment/alienation.

27
Puja in the Temple or Puja at Home?

• Hindus do not need to go to the Temple (Mandir)
  for Puja. They can worship at home.
• However, many Hindus like to visit the Temple and
  can do so at any time during the day.
• In Britain many Hindus worship in the Temple on a
  Sunday morning and on special festivals.

28
Puja in the Temple or Puja at Home?

• Q Is worship in the home more important than
  worship in the temple for Hindus.
• Why would Hindus want to meet in the temple?
• Why would worship at home be more important than
  worship in the temple?
• Would it make any difference if the Hindu were
  living in Britain or India?

29
What have you learnt about puja?

• Do you know what Puja is?
• Do you know why Hindus carry out Puja?
• Do you know the advantages of having puja in the
  home?
• Do you know the advantages of having puja in the
  temple?