You South Africa – 29 August 2019

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Turnto
page 78
tolearnabout
thehistoric
HinduMeenakshi
Temple.
FIND
OUT
MORE
COPY:CUMLAUDEMEDIA.SOURCES:KIRTANYALUTCHMINARAYAN,CAPETOWNINTERFAITHINITIATIVEBOARDMEMBER;URI.ORG;
IA.MRDONN.ORG;KIDS.KIDDLE.CO;THESCHOOLRUN.COM;WIKIPEDIA.ORG;WWW.GOV.ZA;THOUGHTCO.COM;ANCIENT-ORIGINS.NET;LEARNRELIGIONS.COM;
EGUARDIAN.COM;BBC.CO.UK;BRITANNICA.COM;THOUGHTCO.COM;HISTORY.COM;DUMMIES.COM;HISTORY:THEDEFINITIVEVISUALGUIDE,DK, 2007
GOTO
During the Holi festival
Hindus throw coloured
powdertocelebratespring.
p
whenyourealiseyourrelationshipwithBrah-
man,achievementalpeaceanddetachment
fromworldlyconcerns.SomeHindusbelieve
thiscanhappenduringaperson’slife,while
othersbelieveithappensonlyafterdeath.The
soul(atman)thenreuniteswithBrahman.
CASTE SYSTEM
Hindu society is traditionally divided
into four castes or social groups. Many
believe this system comes from Brahma.
The four castes (varnas) are Brahmin,
the priests who come from Brahma’s head;
Kshatriya, warriors and nobles, who come from
his arms; Vaisya, farmers, traders and artisans
created from his thighs; and Shudra, tenant
farmers and servants created from his feet.
There’s a fifth group of people who fall out-
sidethecaste system. They’re the “untoucha-
” and are the lowest in the social order who
npleasant jobs such as cleaning sewers.
r thousands of years these groups lived
rately and didn’t mingle. You couldn’t leave
yourcasteandhadtomarrysomeone
romthesamecaste.Theonlywaytoes-
apeyourcastewastobuildupgoodkar-
maandberebornintoa highercaste.
Discriminationbasedoncastewas
annedinIndiaduringthe20thcentury
nditsinfluenceincitieshasdeclined.
nfortunatelyoppressionstillremains
stronginmanyruralcommunities.
WORSHIP
Hindusworship(puja) bygoingtoa
temple(mandir) oratshrinesintheir
ownhomes.Ashrinecanbea roomorevenjust
a cornerofa roomwithimagesorstatuesofa
deityandalampthat’slit.Thenamesofgods
arerepeatedandofferingsofwater,fruit,flow-
ersandincensearemade,astheelementsand
natureareanimportantpartofworship.
Eachtemplehasoneormorepriestswho
leadworshipandprayersbyrecitingtheVedas.
HOLY THINGS
Hindus believe some rivers are holy
and can wash away sins. The Ganges,
a 2 525km river in northern India, is considered
the holiest of rivers. And although it’s extreme-
ly polluted, millions of people wash in it every
year to cleanse their souls.
Because cows provide milk and are consid-
ered the deity Shiva’s transport, Hindus see
cowsasholy– that’swhyHindusdon’teatbeef.
Cows wander around freely in India – they
sometimesevencausetrafficjams!
FESTIVALS
SHoli marks the beginning of spring
in the northern hemisphere, and also
the beginning of the harvest (in March). During
Holi, people sing and dance with joy. Festival-
goers squirt one another with coloured water
or throw coloured powder at one another. Spe-
cial dishes are served during this festival.
SDiwali, the Festival of Lights, signifies the
Hindu New Year and falls in September or
October. At this time, Hindus celebrate light
that drives away darkness. People clean their
homes and oil lamps are lit in homes and tem-
ples. Burning lamps are also floated in rivers as
was done in the past to welcome Lord Rama (an
aspect of Vishnu) from his exile in the forest.
SAs in many other cultures there are ceremo-
nies for important phases in a Hindu’s life.
Hindu weddings (vivaha) are usually con-
ducted in an ancient Indian language called San-
skrit and can last for days. The bride and groom
wear outfits in traditional red and gold.
A Hindu funeral is known as an antyeshti or
“last sacrifice”. When a Hindu dies, the body is
burnt (cremated). On the third day after the cre-
mation, the deceased’s loved ones gather up
the ashes and scatter them in a nearby river. S
Rangoli decora-
tions are made using
coloured powder or
petalsanddiyas(oil
lamps)arelitduring
Diwali. Hindus
bathe in the Ganges
during the Kumbh
Mela pilgrimage
festival, the largest
gathering of people
in the world.
HH
p
Buddhistconcept ofnirvana.Mokshaoccurs
y
fr
c
m
ba
an
Un
A statue of the god Shiva (auspicious one) at Ganga
Talao, a crater lake and pilgrimage site in Mauritius.
Nearly half the island’s people (49%) are Hindu.
PRIMARY SCHOOL Socia
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