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Hannah Caplin
Ms. Dahle
Humanities 1010
8 February 2016
Hinduism Through New Eyes
On February 17, 2016 at 6:00 P.M., six other classmates and I attended services at the Sri
Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah. The temple was open from 5 to 9 P.M. and visitors were allowed
to come worship anytime during that period. My group and I stayed for about 45 minutes to an
hour. When we arrived at the temple, we followed instructions that were posted on the front door.
We first took our shoes and socks off and washed our feet at a cleaning station. We then entered
the room of worship and walked around, looking at and learning about the different shrines.
Before I attended the service I learned from research that Hindus believe in many Gods. They
believe that there is one supreme being with no name or form, but they worship many different
Gods who give them strength to resist worldly temptations. After walking around, we watched a
few Hindu members participate in a blessing ritual. We then talked to the temple priest who
answered many of our questions and taught us about what Hindus really believe.
The participants interacted with the priest when he performed the blessing ritual, with
other members of the religion in passing, and with the Gods in the temple through prayer. There
was no meeting or speakers, only the priest spoke while performing rituals. The room was quiet
and calm so members could feel at peace while they worshiped. There was many statues of Gods
placed around the room and the biggest shrine of the Elephant God was at the center of the room.
The room was large so there was plenty of space for all the participants. There were no
distractions and everyone was very respectful to the culture and sacredness of the temple.

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The nature of the event was peaceful, sacred and personal. I felt like the services were for
every individual personally. You are able to walk around at your own pace, receive blessings
from the priest when you are ready, and pray to each God as wanted and at your own time. After
watching how people worshipped at the temple, I really felt that the Hindu members were able to
grow closer to God personally and receive blessings and help that they need in their own lives
from doing so.
The overall tone of the service was causal. Everyone was very respectful during prayer to
the deities and while the blessing rituals took place, but as previously mentioned, it was all on
your own time. We were able to talk to one of the Hindu members casually while in the temple as
well as with the priest. It felt kind of like a museum while we walked around to the different
shrines and deities, but everything was very casual and felt open to all people. One thing that the
priest did with members who wanted, was what one woman called a blessing ritual. He gave
water from a pan to the members who drank a small amount, then tossed the rest over their
heads. He also gave fruit (apples) to those who wanted. One woman we spoke to told us that the
ritual was for a blessing that they may have strength to resist temptations and be clean and pure.
While watching this whole process, I kept thinking that it seemed more indicative of culture and
tradition because of the actions that took place and the meaning of the blessing. It was solely to
help Hindus with their challenges in the upcoming week, there was no core belief or theology
behind it.
After attending services at the Hindu temple, I understand much more about what karma
means in Hinduism. The temple priest answered many of our questions and explained that
Hindus believe that whatever you put into the world, you will receive back. They live by the
concept that what goes around comes around. Karma in Hinduism means that whatever good

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actions or poor choices you make in this life, you will receive benefits or harmful effects based
on your deeds. This is a concept that was much more clear to me and that I understood better
because of my attendance to the Hindu temple.
In class during this world religions unit, weve talked a lot about core struggles and how
different groups deal with those struggles. I learned from this project that Hindus believe in the
sacred power of procreation. The priest at the temple told us that Hindus believe in one wife and
many children. Another core struggle that we all have to deal with is the need to fight. Hindu
attitudes to war and peace are based on the teachings of sacred Hindu scriptures. Ahimsa (a very
important belief in Hinduism) means trying to fight injustice and evil, but without using any
physical force. Many Hindus believe that any violence is always wrong.
One of the priests at the temple took the time to speak with us and answer all of our
questions about the religion and practices. I had lots of questions because everything about this
experience and the Hindu religion was very interesting to me. One thing that I asked him was
what do Hindus believe happens after this life? The priest explained to us that Hindus believe in
karma and reincarnation. Basically they believe that your spirituality and your actions whether
good or bad in a previous life, determined where you live and the opportunities you receive in
this life. After you die, Hindus believe that you will be reborn and can begin life in a new body.
I used to think that Hinduism was just Indians with dots on their foreheads who believed
in karma. By attending services at the Hindu temple and by refraining from judging other
religions and thinking its either right or wrong, I have changed my belief of that stereotype.
While attending this service I focused on being open to the experience and not having judgement
or bias. This mindset really allowed me to gain a different understanding of something that is
such a big part of the world around me. Fifteen percent of the world, one billion people, claim to

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be Hindu and it was interesting to me to see why they believe the things they do and see firsthand what they actually practice.
I have learned so many interesting facts about Hinduism from this project and attending
the temple. I enjoyed that different experience and learning about the core beliefs of Hinduism.
One belief in particular that really stood out to me was the belief that everyone should strive to
achieve dharma. Understanding the concept of dharma helped me better understand the Hindu
faith. I like the concept of dharma that everyone should follow the right conduct, righteousness,
moral law, and duties. Anyone who makes dharma central to one's life and strives to do the right
thing will in a sense receive good karma. This is something I want to incorporate into my daily
life because I do believe in the importance of doing what's right, and I have loved seeing how the
Hindus center their lives around always trying to do the right thing.