The Importance Of Hindu Temples

916 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hindu temples of india essay

Hindu Temples
A Hindu Temple can be called a mandir, devalaya, or a devasthana. All of these words actually mean ‘God’s dwelling’. They can be found all over the world. For the Hindus, it is a place to worship where they can have inner peace because the mind becomes clear. Each temple dedicates itself to worship a particular god, however, other gods are also portrayed and worshiped. A shrine within the temple will contain an image or statue of the god the temple was dedicated to. Although each individual temple may be dedicated to a different god, they all share similar and missions and include religious, cultural, social and humanitarian activities.
The Vaikunth Hindu Jain Temple is located in Pomona, NJ. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu. Vaikuntha is the name for Vishnu’s celestial home. The community got the idea for building this temple in the early 1990’s. Members of the Indian Community in the Atlantic City area had been holding regular prayer meetings. The meetings took place at member’s houses and as the community grew, members began looking for a site to build a religious and cultural center. This center would be a place of prayer and meditation. A place for members to learn about their culture and heritage for generations to come.
Members of the local Indian community volunteered numerous hours …show more content…

It has a formal name of Swaminarayan Sanstha Mandir. BAPS is an abbreviation for Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha, which is in the Swaminarayan branch of Hindiusm. BAPS is a civil and religious organization. According to H.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is “A Mandir is a place of paramount peace…to realize God” (BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, 2018). This Mandir is a place of worship and also a place for members to go to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Indian art, culture and religion. It provides many opportunities for spiritual growth and

Show More
Related

  • Importance Of Temple Puja

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    With guidance from principle beliefs and the XIVth Dalai Lama, Buddhist bioethics and the devotional practice of Temple Puja have an impact of high significance on individuals, and the Buddhist community in ultimately, guiding the life of the adherent to achieve total enlightenment. As the modern figurehead for Buddhism, the XIVth Dalai Lama has contributed to the formulation and reassessment of the Buddhist approach to ethical issues.

    Read More

  • Art History of Central America

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    The New Temple “forms a continuum” with the Old Temple. The same belief system continues and there is evidence of the same rituals. The New Temple also has galleries and plazas.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Nation Of Islam And The Nation Of Islam

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Islam, their communities are called ummah. Their mosque is in the center, and cities are constructed around it. This symbolizes a life built around faith. In the Nation of Islam, their temple is also their sense of community. Though their cities are not physically around the temple, their social and spiritual lives are centered there. With school, religious services, banquets, etc. the whole community of believers sees the temple as a common ground and gathering place.

    Read More

  • Muslim Cultural Lifestyles: The Dome Of The Rock

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Different religions have shaped the cultural landscapes throughout history. In most religions, they have what is known as a sacred site. Many of the sacred sites are near the founding of the religion or near a place where something significant had once occurred. The followers of these religions often build temples to worship their gods. One example, would be the Dome of the Rock, where Muhammad, a prophet of God in the Muslim culture, said to have ascended into heaven.The Dome of the Rock is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and is the "Noble Sanctuary" by Muslims. The place of worship for Muslims is known as the mosque, but the Dome of the Rock is much more iconic and would be best identified as a Muslim shrine. The temple was originally made for pilgrims and took thirteen years to construct. This is also a significant place for the Muslim community

    Read More

  • the peoples temple

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    When New West began to investigate The Peoples Temple, it shook the members of the group and they attempted to fend it off by messaging the media group with several letters and calls saying “We hear New West is going to attack Jim Jones in print; don’t do that. He’s a good man who doesn’t good works.” After a bit of time passed, ex-members of The Peoples Temple

    Read More

  • How To Visit The Hindu Mandir?

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    I learned Mandir is a place where Hindu go to worship and not only that it is a house of god, but also

    Read More

  • The Role of Worship in the Everyday Lives of the People

    1501 Words  | 4 Pages

    Looking back at some of the earliest years of God's chosen people, we can see that worship played quite a significant role in the everyday lives of the people. Until the temple in Jerusalem was built, there was no real establishment or unification of the people since their captivity to Egypt. Solomon, one of Israel's first few kings, built the Temple of Jerusalem. Solomon's Temple was believed to be the dwelling place of God.

    Read More

  • Ethnography

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    When I was a kid my parents always took me to Nathdwara to take the blessings of Lord Krishna every now and then because my parents are so religious. So by going there several times I am also attached to that place. Actually Nathdwara is situated in Rajasthan state and I live in the state called Gujarat and in the city called as Ahmedabad. It takes six hours drive from my city to Nathdwara and this is the only nearest place where I could get mental peace. This is very important place for me and my family because it is a tradition of our family that whoever goes there gives free food to the hungry and poor people. We do so because we think that if we do good work in our life we will be allowed by god to go to the heaven. [The two states on the left are Gujarat and Rajasthan. One in light blue color is Gujarat with the arrows and on the top of it with cream color is Rajasthan. I live in the middle of the state and Nathdwara is at the border of the Rajasthan]

    Read More

  • How Rituals Permit the Practice of Worship in Hinduism

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, a long time ago temples have become a figure and old tradition in Hindu worshipping. However, when these temple worships began is undetermined. Some forms of Hindus consider the temple as a symbol of a “higher reality.” For example, Sri Vaishnava community believes that the consecrated image of Vishnu in the temple is making a presence and he wants to be attainable. On the other hand, some of members reject the concept of worshipping images. According to the Oxtoby University Press, “…. members of the recent Brahmo Samaj and the Vira Shaiva movements-reject images altogether. (Oxtoby p.296) When the devotees enter the temple for their visit the essential part is to walk inside one of the enclosures. The formal act of worship can be fulfilled by archana and can also bow down to the deity. Archana is where priest praises the deity by reciting his or her names. (Oxtoby p.297) In addition, every so often the devotees can go to the kitchen to buy or get free for prasad. In the book, “A Concise Introduction to World Religions,” prasad is defined as: “a gift from the deity, especially food that has been presented to the god’s temple image, blessed, and returned to the devotee. “ (Oxtoby p.320) Furthermo...

    Read More

  • The Greek Gods And The Father Of The Gods

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being the major god of the Greek pantheon, Zeus had cult sites all over Greece. The Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries located, according to the nature of the particular deity, either within the city or in the countryside. A sanctuary was a well-defined sacred space set apart usually by an enclosure wall. Unlike a modern church, a temple was not a place where congregations gathered. Rather, the temple received individuals or small groups for prayer or sacrifice. The temple's priest or priestesses might be minor functionaries under the direction of a high priest. This sacred precinct, also known as a temenos, contained the temple with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues and offerings to the gods. The statues of the gods were generally made of wood, stone, clay o...

    Read More

  • My First Visit at the Hindu Temple

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, short for BAPS is a spiritual organization and worship place revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830) in the late 18th century and established in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951). BAPS was founded on the pillars of practical spirituality and they aim to resolve all the spiritual, moral, and social challenges that are happening in the world. BAPS strives to inspire better and happier individuals, families, and societies by basing their activities on the following principles: inspiration energizes its effort against drugs etc, promote harmony and peace, develop a better youth, and sustain the Indian roots.

    Read More

  • Buddhism Essay

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    We live in a world full of different religions and all of them have, for the most part, a lot of similarities between them. Some of said similarities include beliefs or practices, art, statuary and architecture or buildings such as temples or churches. They serve as reminders of teachings or beliefs and also a place to gather and worship. The architecture or structures are so revered by the people who build them that they themselves become intricate works of art. Another form in use is statues. Most religions use some form of statuary as shrines to visit or pray to, also as a representation of the image portrayed by their chosen religion. A religion with a strong representation of this practice is Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is recognized as one of the world’s major religions.

    Read More

  • Comparison and Contrast of the Taj Mahal and the Stupa at Sanchi

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the following essay, I will be comparing and contrasting to architectural pieces by the Indians. The first is the Taj Mahal, a building constructed from white marble that took seventeen years to build in honor of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Z. Haq). This piece of architectural beauty belonged to the Mughal’s, the Muslim emperors in India (Z. Haq). The second is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, a holy, dome shaped structure that covers the body of the Buddha in honor of him and his contributions to Buddhism (Fischer, Julia). Furthermore, this structure was made of ruins, rocks, mud, and covered in bricks (Fischer, Julia). Both pieces of architecture are significant to the Indians, however they do contrast in some ways.

    Read More

  • Temple of Luxor

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ancient Egypt’s pyramids are the oldest and largest stone structure in the world. Along the Nile 35 major pyramids still stand. The three largest pyramids at Giza rank as one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. It was on the list of notable things to see which was made up by the travelers during ancient times. The ancient Egyptians also built temples of limestone. They designed parts of the temples to resemble plants. Moreover, many of ancient Egypt’s finest paintings and other works of art were produced for tombs and temples. Ancient Egyptian sculptors decorated temples with carvings showing festivals, military victories, and other important events. Sculptors also carved large stone sphinxes. These statutes were supposed to represent Egyptian Kings or Gods and were used to Guard temples and tombs. The Temples were houses of worship. The word temple most often refers to Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, Taoist, and ancient Near Eastern and European places of worship. Most Temples are built to honor god, a God, or many Gods. Many of these buildings are considered the homes of gods. Back then and still today worship at temples often involves traditional ceremonies and may include sacrifices. Certain temples stood on sacred sites. The design of numerous temples was symbolic.

    Read More

  • Hindu Mythology

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hindu mythology has interesting theories on how the Earth was created and the reincarnation of people, Hinduism is very different to many other mythologies and has some unique key features that make it stand out from the rest. History tells that there are over 330 million gods in Hindu mythology. There are six main gods in Hinduism. Hindu’s have an interesting belief of what happens to them after death, the afterlife Hindus believe in must be met by accomplishing a goal. Hinduism is a unique belief in many gods, the life cycle and reincarnation of its people.

    Read More

More about The Importance Of Hindu Temples

Open Document