Hinduism In The Film, Ganges: River To Heaven

The introduction and the first couple of chapters of The Life of Hinduism provides an excellent primer to the vibrant and multifaceted world of Hinduism to the Western reader. In these readings, perhaps the most significant point was that of the pluralism and inherent diversity that typifies the Hindu culture and tradition. At a glance, Hinduism’s ideas of oneness seem to be contradictory with the existence of the plethora of gods and goddesses. The sheer magnitude of the number of gods, from Shiva to Krishna, Lakshmi to Rama, can potentially cause a student of Hinduism to be at a loss for understanding how it is possible for the innumerable branches of the religion to merge in the one Reality. The explanation provided in the reading effectively …show more content…
The most important aspect of Hinduism that this film revealed was the degree to which individuals believed in the divinity and spiritual importance of the Ganga river. Like other religions, certain physical places and locations possess divine importance, to the extent that, in the case of Hinduism, individuals wholeheartedly believe that death in the city of Kashi, which is situated on the Ganga river, will give them mukti. From this, it becomes apparent that symbols are highly regarded in the Hindu culture, even if they are physical locations. Another concept that the film highlighted was the idea of financial transactions taking place under a spiritual or religious context. Surprisingly, yet still coherent with the idea of reciprocity in Hinduism, the manager of the Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan does not charge the people who use the provided resources. Even those who help with cremations do not charge a fee; instead, they graciously accept whatever the family of the deceased deems appropriate and can afford. Therefore, the transaction of money, at least under the frame of reference of religion, seems to be less about dry payments and more about tokens of appreciation for a performed service. Finally, another major theme of the film was the respect and care given to one’s family members, especially the mother. Of the three families depicted in the film, almost all the sons or grandsons echoed the same idea of caring for one’s mother at any cost, since their mothers raised them from before birth to well into adulthood. As in many other religions and cultures, the virtue of respecting and taking care for one’s elders seems to hold a center stage of Hindu