Section 3.1: Places of Worship (2) Flashcards
What is the sacred/profane distinction?
Durkheim was interested in how societies made this separation between sacred spaces and normal, every-day spaces. Places or items that are ‘sacred’ are holy, spiritual and, therefore, deemed to be of special religious significance, whereas the term ‘profane’ refers to the everyday non-sacred world that exists outside the walls of temples and other areas of religious significance.
How did Hindus worship during the Ancient Vedic times?
During these Ancient Vedic times, worship took place anywhere a fire altar (vedi) could be built. Fires were lit and worshippers would offer prayers and offerings to the gods. They believed that the flames would acts as a medium between them and the gods who resided in the atmosphere above them.
What was worship like during the Common Era?
At the beginning of the Common Era, fire altars were replaced by temples that were built in locations where the gods were said to live. These locations where the divine was immanent within our world. Each temple had a presiding god or goddess with associated deities, and then these temples developed origin myths to explain how the deities appeared in these areas in order to show why the temples were established in those locations.
How was temple construction funded prior to the 20th Century?
Temple construction was usually funded by wealthy patrons and donors and often came with gifts of land. To this day, many of the large mandirs in India benefit from these land holdings alongside the gifts they receive from their worshippers.
After the 20th Century, how were mandirs funded for?
From this point, the money received by these mandirs has often been used to fund hospitals, schools, universities and charitable projects, as well as funding temple construction for Hindu communities residing outside of India and South Asia.
How do mandirs appear in Indian villages?
In Indian villages, mandirs are often the most prominent building. They are made of brick or stone. These are painted in vivid colours and adorned with images of the gods. If the village is close to a river, the mandir would usually be built along its banks with steps heading down into the waters.
What are the purposes of mandirs?
Mandirs differ in their purposes for the community, both locally and nationally. Some are celebrated as centres of learning and research, whereas others are noted fore their charitable work, especially with regards to healthcare for the local communities. Despite these differences, mandirs are also vital for communities during festivals as they organise celebrations and devotional puja.
What is the aim of a mandir?
Ultimately, the aim of a mandir is that, through its architecture and imagery, the worshipper is briefly transported away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world and becomes closer to God; mandirs seek to transport the mind to a different plane. As in other faiths, mandirs act as a place where the divine and the human realms meet.
How does temple architecture reflect mountains?
Temple architecture reflects the view of mountains being central to the gods and to the Hindu faith. That is, the shape of temples should represent the shape of mountains, allowing the eyes of the worshipper to be drawn to the images of the gods that are carved or painted onto the outside of the mandir.
What is the central purpose that all mandirs share?
All mandirs have the central purpose of housing the gods. In the inner sanctums of the temple, there will be a murti installed with the garbha-griha (lit. ‘womb-house’), which serves as the holy sanctuary. It is usually the case that one of the deities is designated as being the most important for that particular mandir and is set slightly apart from the other local deities that are worshipped in that area.
What do northern-style mandirs look like?
Northern-style mandirs are noted for the presence of a shikhara - a tower-like structure that rises above the garbha-griha and murti, with the aim that the worshipper’s mind is drawn towards liberation, as the shikhara represents the journey towards moksha. If a temple has multiple shikharas, Hindus are reminded of the Himalayas being the original homes of the gods.
What is an example of a northern-style mandir?
An example of a northern-style mandir are the temples at Bhubaneshwar.
What do southern-style mandirs look like?
In contrast, southern-style mandirs contain a central shrine set in an open courtyard surrounded by walls and gates laid out in concentric squares. In the outer walls, there are four gates laid out in the directions of the cardinal compass points. These gates are known as gopurams and are decorated with stepped layers, adorned with images of the gods on each level. Many temples are large, akin to cities, and have statues of deities throughout so that, as you journey towards the murti in the middle of the complex, your focus should sharpen as you head towards the bindu - the centre of the complex.
What is an example of a southern-style mandir?
An example of a southern-style mandir is the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai in Tamil Nadu, which is, in particular, noted for its highly decorative gopuram.
How many Hindus live in the United Kingdom?
In 2017, the number of Hindus in the UK was estimated to have been 1,021,000.
