A Magical visit to a Mandir

When they arrived, the pupils were amazed by the beautifully decorated entrance. One pupil excitedly commented, “The outside is so cool, there are so many colours!” Before entering the Mandir, all pupils remembered that they needed to remove their shoes as a sign of respect and to help keep the area clean.

Once inside, the pupils explored the different shrines and recognised several Hindu Gods and Goddesses they had learned about during their lessons. They were particularly interested in the different statues and how each one had been decorated. One pupil commented, “I really like the shrine with Ganesh because he’s got the head of my favourite animal, an elephant”
During our visit, the priest performed a puja ceremony, giving the pupils the opportunity to see first-hand the different items used during worship. The pupils were very respectful throughout the ceremony, sitting quietly and paying close attention to what was happening.

Afterwards, they had the opportunity to ask questions about what they had seen. One pupil asked, “Are any of the Gods and Goddesses family?”. This thoughtful question helped to further develop their knowledge and understanding of Hindu beliefs and the relationships between the different Gods and Goddesses worshipped in the Mandir.

At the end of our visit, the pupils and staff were given a piece of fruit as prasad. The fruit had been offered during the puja ceremony and was then shared with us as a blessing.

The visit was a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to make links between what they had learned in the classroom and what they experienced in the Mandir. It helped to bring their learning to life and gave them a deeper understanding of Hindu worship and beliefs.