Symbolism In Hindu Rituals

Furthermore, Susan Penny (1995) claims that these “polytheistic, [philosophical] and spiritual meanings” are found in the variety of symbolism, embedded within Hindu rituals. Kaur (2015) states that an example of this one such ritual is the Puja, which is defined as an “individual act of Hindu worship, performed at home or in a Hindu temple” (British Broadcasting Company, 2005); despite “traditional Vedic forms” of the ritual being practiced in “holy grounds” (Cole and Morgan, 2000), such as: forests, river banks, caves, the summits of mountains, solitary groves and pasture lands. In order to partake in this ritual, a person is required to awaken early in the morning and dress in a new set of clothes (Kaur, 2015). A lamp is lit in front of the Mandir (altar), …show more content…
A Hindu worshipper may also place bowls of fruit, water or rice, as Havan (spiritual offerings) to various gods or goddesses. Therefore, as evaluated by Natalia Lidova (1994) the utilisation of mantras, yantras and the offering of a havan, assists Australian Hindus in reconstructing the immanence of a god or goddess; hence, rectifying the spiritual connection between themselves and the divine world (Cole and Morgan, 2000).
Within the Shri Ganesha Temple (2015), it was evident that many deities were rectified as vibrant statues and wall-art. This included sculptures of Sri Laxmi Narayana and Sri Hanuman, as shown in Figure 4 and 5, surrounded by followers performing the Pradakshina (circambulation), symbolising respect (Eveland, 2011). Moreover, Gordon Melton and Michael Baumann (2002) state that the presence of different