The Word Hindu

A long time ago, when people came to visit

India, they had to cross a large river. That river
was called Sindhu. These people could not say
the word Sindhu properly. They called it Hindu
instead. Then they started calling the people
who lived across the river Hindus. This is how
Hindus got their name. The religion of the
Hindus is now called Hinduism. A lot of Hindus
still live in India, but many have moved to other
parts of the world.
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 The Symbol Om
• Om is an important
symbol for Hindus. It is
the sound heard in the
deepest of meditation.
It is said to be the name
of God.

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 Founders
Founders of religions are the first people
who start teaching that religion. Every
Religion Has either one or more founders.
Hinduism has hundreds of founders
who have taught Hinduism in Ancient Rishi
different times. The special name
given to these founders is rishi.
These rishis can actually experience
God. Rishis can be young or old, male
or female. Here is a picture of an
ancient rishi and a picture of a rishi
who lived only fifty years ago called
Ramana Maharshi Ramana Rishi
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 Holy Writings
• Whatever the rishis learnt about God is found
in important books of Hinduism called the
Vedas. 
• Hinduism also has lots of stories. These stories
are found in books called the Puranas

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 Hindu Prayer
•The
Themain
mainHindu
Hinduprayer
prayer is•Gayatri
called the Gayatri.
Prayer:
isThe prayer
called is written in an
the Gayatri. ancient
•Let language
us meditate on
called
The Sanskrit
prayer is written in the glorious light of
an ancient language God. May She
•called Sanskrit
Gayatri Prayer: enlighten our hearts
and direct our
• Let us meditate on the glorious light of God.
understanding.
May She enlighten our hearts and direct our
understanding.

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 Thinking of God like a person
• Hindus say that we can think of God like a person. We
cannot think of a person who does not have a shape, so
Hindus give shape to God. But what shape do they give
to God? Lots of different shapes! Hindus are allowed to
choose the way they like to think about God.

• It is easier to think of God with shape than without

shape. A lot of Hindus like to think of God as a father in
heaven. But why only as a father? Many Hindus prefer
to think of God as a mother in heaven. Hindus can
choose the way they like to think of God. Here are two
of the ways Hindus like to think of God.

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 THINK OF GOD
• Hindus prefer to think of God as a mother in
heaven. Hindus can choose the way they like
to think of God. Here are two of the ways
Hindus like to think of God.
• One way Hindus
think of God as a
person is:
Krishna
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 Mother Goddess-Durga
Even though there is only
one God, Hindus say there
are hundreds of ways of
thinking about God. All the
different images and pictures
in Hindu homes and temples
are different ways Hindus like
to think about the same God.
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• We can think of God without shape
Some Hindus do not like to think of
God with shape like a person. They
like to think of God without shape.
But how can we think of God without
shape? It is not that hard. We all
believe in truth, love, and power.
None of these have any shape, but Fire keeps
we still know that they are there. Changing Shapes

This is how some Hindus like to

think of God. Sometimes they use fire
as a symbol of God without shape because
fire does not have any one shape.
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How can the same God be with and without shape?
• Yes, it is possible, say the Hindus.
• Think of ice and water. Ice has a shape, but water
has none. But ice and water are really the same
thing. In the same way, Hindus say that God can
have a shape, and can also be without shape. We
can think of God in many different ways, but it is
still the same God – with or without shape.
• The same thing
can be with and without
a shape like ........Ice and Water

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• Another way Hindus think of God is as our
innermost Self.
• Hindus say that if we meditate hard, and search
inside ourselves to try and find out who we truly
are; we find God. It is the same God who lives in
all of us. Hindus call our innermost-Self, Atman :
God as all of us. This is why when Hindus meet
they greet each other by putting
Their Hands together, bowing
down and saying Namaste.  
This word means:
‘There is God in you’
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Why respect everyone and everything?

If we hurt anyone, we hurt ourselves, because it

is the same God that lives in all of us. We
should respect and love everyone and
everything, because it is the same God who
lives in everything and everyone.

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 Hindu Beliefs
• The Cycle of Life
• Hindus believe that after we die, we are
reborn. We continue to be reborn until we
find God. The only thing that comes with us
when we die and are reborn is our character.
If we are clever we are reborn as clever. 

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 Hindu Beliefs
• Can we be reborn as a butterfly?
It might be fun to be born as a
butterfly, but it is not likely. We start by being
born as a lower life form, but then over many
life times we are slowly reborn as higher and
higher beings until we become human. It would
be difficult to be reborn as a butterfly after
being a human being.
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 The Law of Karma
Hindus say that whatever we do will produce
results, these results cannot be avoided. This is
called the Law of Karma. For example if we work
hard in school we become clever, if we do bad
things we get punished. The Law of Karma says
that this cannot be avoided. We are responsible
for everything we do and what will happen to us. 
Everything we do produces some results that
cannot be avoided. This is why we have to be
careful about even the smallest thing we do. If
we do good things, good results will follow. If we
do wrong things, bad things are bound to catch
up with us.

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 Different ways to reach God
Hindus say that all religions are different ways to reach
God. No one religion is better than any other. To say that
all religions take us to the same God is called Pluralism.
There are different ways to reach God within Hinduism
itself.  Some people are very clever and like to find God
by reasoning alone. There are some who like to reach
God through love. Others like to meditate and find God.
While there are some who like to reach God by doing
good deeds. Hindus are free to choose the way or ways
they want to use to reach God. As we are all different
and have different characters and abilities we choose
different ways to reach God.

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 Hindu Practices
• Worship
• Any activity we do that takes us closer to God
is a form of worship. In Hinduism, there are no
hard and fast rules about when or how to
pray. There are only some guidelines. A lot of
Hindus find the best times to worship are at
dawn (when the sun is just coming up) and at
dusk (when the sun is just setting). These are
times when everything seems so peaceful.

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 Worship is called Puja
• Worship is called Puja
•  Shrine is the place in the home
where God is worshipped.
•  The Deity is the form of God
being worshipped. A picture or
statue of the deity is placed on a
raised and decorated platform.
•  A lamp is lit to show that we want to go from
darkness to light.  It shows that we want to find
God.
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 Worship is called Puja
•   Water may be sprinkled around the shrine for
purity
•   Flowers may be offered to
show that we are offering our
heart to God.
• Fruit and food may be offered to God to offer
thanks. At the end of the worship, the food
becomes holy.  This food is then called Prashad. It
is shared and eaten by worshippers. 

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 Worship is called Puja
• Incense may be burnt. The sweet scent goes
everywhere to remind us that God is everywhere. 
• Bell may be rung to awaken the deity. The sound
of the bell can be used blocks out other sounds
disturbing the puja. 
• Tilak is a mark made on the forehead when doing
the worship ceremony. Hindus concentrate on
this spot when they meditate. This mark is made
using red powder. 

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 Worship is called Puja
• Prayers and Sacred Scriptures may be read or
sung during the Puja ceremony 
• Arti is the welcoming ceremony
of God. Lamps are waved gently
in front of the image and holy
songs are sung.
• Camphor is burnt at the end of the puja to
show that we have to burn our pride.
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 Temple Worship
Worship in the temple: Hindus say that
temples are the homes of God on earth. There are no
hard and fast rules about when to
go to the temple. Hindus go to
the temple to get darshan of
God. This means they wish to
catch sight of God. They may take
flowers and fruits, or other items
to offer to God. When they arrive at the
temple, they remove their shoes before entering
the temple as a mark of respect.
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 Temple worship
• At the entrance to the temple people ring a bell to
announce their presence to God. The main deity of the
temple is placed in the inner shrine. The outer walls of
the temples may have smaller shrines housing other
deities. The worship ceremony is similar to the worship
at home. The congregation sings glories of God. These
songs are called bhajans.  The priest performs the arti
ceremony by gently waving a tray with oil-lamps in
front of the deity. The arti-tray is then passed around,
people cup their hands over the lamps to receive
blessings. Some people go around the deity in the
inner shrine to pay their respects. Prashad, the food
and fruit that was offered to God is offered to
everyone to eat.

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 FESTIVALS
• Religious festivals remind us about God. Some festivals
celebrate special days in a religion, some festivals
celebrate change of season while some celebrate
special relationships. 
• Diwali is the most popular Hindu festival. On this night,
Rama and Sita returned to their city after spending 14
years in the forest. To celebrate their return the
people of the city lit up the whole town with oil-lamps.
These little lamps are called diwa hence the festival is
called Diwali. This day also celebrates the day the
Mother Goddess destroyed a demon called Mahisha.
On this day, people light lots of lamps, visit relatives,
have feasts and arrange firework displays.
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 Festivals
• Navaratri celebrates the victory of the Mother
Goddess over evil. It is a festival that lasts over
nine nights with dancing and singing around
the image of the mother Goddess. Some
grown-ups may fast during these days to show
their devotion to the mother Goddess.
• Shivratri celebrations take place in the night 
to honour Lord Shiva

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 Yoga
Most people think that Yoga means doing physical
exercises. The word yoga means to join together
with God. Physical exercises help us to stay
healthy, but it is not the ‘real’ yoga. The real yoga
is called Raja yoga and is the way to find God by
meditation. It is very difficult. Real meditation
comes when we become even more awake than
we are now. How can this be possible? Hindus say
• that when we are successful in making our mind
very quiet, we become even more awake. In
meditation we can experience God.

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 Yoga
• Someone called Vivekananda
was able to meditate by making
his mind very quiet and seeing
God. This is a picture taken
When he was experiencing
God in deep meditation. 

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 Hindu Prayers
Aum Aum
Bhur, Bhuva, Suvah; Let us meditate on the
Tat Savitur varenyam; glorious effulgence of that
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi; Supreme Being who has
Dhiyo Yo Na Prachodayata. created the Universe,
Aum shanti, shanti, shanti
•
•
Aum
Bhur, Bhuva, Suvah;
May She enlighten our
•
•
•
Tat Savitur varenyam;
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi; hearts and direct our
Dhiyo Yo Na Prachodayata.
•
•
Aum shanti, shanti, shanty
  understanding
• Aum
•
Peace unto all
Let us meditate on the glorious effulgence of that
Supreme Being who has created the Universe,
• May She enlighten our hearts and direct our
understanding
• Peace unto all

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 Hindu Prayers
 
 
Aum Aum
Asato Ma Sadgamaya; From the unreal lead us to
Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya; the real; Lead us from
• AumMrytyorma darkness to light;
•
•
•
Bhur, Bhuva, Suvah;

Amritamgamaya.
Tat Savitur varenyam; From death lead us to
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi;
•
•
Dhiyo Yo Na Prachodayata.
Aum shanti shanti shanti
Aum shanti, shanti, shanty immortality;
•  
•
•
Aum
Let us meditate on the glorious effulgence of that
Peace unto all
Supreme Being who has created the Universe,
• May She enlighten our hearts and direct our
understanding
• Peace unto all

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 Hindu Prayers

Aum Aum
Saha Navavatu; May HE protect us; May
Saha Nau Bhunaktu; HE nourish us; May our
Saha Viryam Karvavahai; studies make us illumined;
Tejasvi Navadhitamastu; May there be no dislike
Ma Vidvishavahai. amongst us; May we act
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti together for common
good.
Peace unto all.

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 Hindu Prayers
Aum Aum
Purnamadah This is perfect - that is
Puranamidam; perfect; Perfect comes
Purnaat from perfect.
Purnamaudachyate; Take perfect from perfect,
Purnasya Prunamadaya the remainder is perfect.
Purnamevavashishyate. Peace unto all.
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti

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