What You Will See Inside a Hindu Temple

By Dr. Mehendra Jania, PhD, Dr. Vandana Jani, Neirah Bhargava and Vijay Dave

A colorful, fun-to-read introduction that explains the ways and
whys of Hindu faith and worship

What You Will See Inside… A new series of illustrated books designed to show children ages 6 and up the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of traditional houses of worship, liturgical celebrations, and rituals of different world faiths, empowering young people to respect and understand their own religious traditions—and those of their friends and neighbors.

Visual and vibrant, What You Will See Inside a Hindu Temple features many informative pictures and concise descriptions of what is happening, the objects used, the spiritual leaders and laypeople who have specific roles, and the spiritual intent of the believers.

Ideal for children as well as teachers, parents, librarians, clergy and lay leaders who want to demystify the celebrations and ceremonies of Hinduism throughout the year, as well as encourage understanding and tolerance among different faith traditions.

What You Will See Inside a Hindu Temple will: Satisfy kids’ curiosity about what goes on in a Hindu temple attended by their friends, broadening awareness of other faiths at an important age when opinions and prejudices can first form.

Provide Hindu children with a deeper understanding of the practices of their own religious tradition.

Give children the opportunity to ask questions, making them more active participants.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Jan 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781594734991

Dr. Mehendra Jania, PhD

Mahendra Jani, PhD, is cofounder and president of Vivekananda Vidyapith, an academy of Indian philosophy and culture in Wayne, New Jersey. He is the author of several books and articles, including The Concept of God in Hindu Religion.

Book preview

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Foreword

Hinduism is the world’s most ancient living religion. It is practiced by over 80 percent of India’s one billion people as well as many other people in countries throughout the world. The original name for Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, or the eternal religion. The word Hindu came from Sindhu, the Sanskrit word for the river Indus.

Hinduism is based on the ancient scriptures called the Vedas. It teaches that God is one but his names and forms are many. God is the soul of the universe and also the inmost soul in every human heart. The ultimate goal of life is to know God, and love all people because of God’s presence within them. A Hindu often chooses one particular form of God for worship and regards other forms as expressions of the same God. Freedom of worship is the most basic freedom for Hindus.

Temples play a vital role in Hinduism. They are centers of learning, places of pilgrimage, and shrines of worship. For a Hindu, the temple is the external symbol of the real temple in the human heart. The deity on the temple altar reminds a Hindu of the shrine in our heart where God dwells as our inmost soul. The offerings of fruits, flowers, and other special items to God symbolize the real offerings of our prayerful thoughts. A Hindu feels the presence of God in the temple and firmly believes that

Reviews for What You Will See Inside a Hindu Temple

[s_trevor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was an interesting read into how Hindus practice and worship, and gave a good overview of the religion's tenets and core beliefs. It was a bit wordy and I wouldn't recommend it for children under 8 or 9. The book used a lot of first-person and second-person pronouns, as if the authors were inviting the reader to join them on a tour. Lots of pictures of beautiful temples and art color the pages and make for an interesting read! Would be good as a resource for students to use for a project on the religion.