Holi


Holi at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Holi is celebrated during the month of March and sometimes in February.  It is the second of two spring festivals. The first being Vasant Panchami.

The colours of Holi are associated with the arrival of spring. It is a festival celebrated mostly in India and Nepal.

Guests at Bhaktivedanta Manor Holi festival

The festival of Holi is also celebrated as a triumph of good over evil. Holika the sister of the demon Hiranyakashipu, had powers to withstand heat and fire. Prahlad who worshiped Lord Vishnu, was the son of Hiranyakashipu. As part of his efforts to destroy his son (because he worshiped Lord Vishnu), Hiranyakashipu the king of the demons asked Holika to enter into fire with the boy Prahlad. Prahlad was saved from the fire because of his prayers to Lord Vishnu and Holika was killed.

A priest instructing a visiting dignitary on lighting the Holika bonfire.

How is this festival celebrated

Holi is a national holiday in India. The festival would begin the night before with the burning of Holika. On the day of Holi many people would part take in the throwing of colours, regardless if friend, foe or stranger. People sing, dance and play musical instruments while participating in the festivities. It is also a time to mend broken friendships and visit family.

Colours are either naturally derived from various plants or synthetic in nature.  They are thrown in form of powder, water balloons and water guns.

Holi is also very popular with non-Hindus and during the summer months there are many Holi inspired events around the world.

Yr 4 St. Albans High School for Girls

When was Hinduism founded?

The word Hindu, refers to the land on the south side of the Sind river (or Indus) where the people were following The Sanatan Dharma. It is very difficult for scholars to pinpoint exactly when Hinduism was founded and there is no single founder. Hinduism is believed to be the oldest religion in the world. Many of its followers say there is no beginning since they believe it is eternal (no beginning, no end), hence also known as The Sanatan Dharma (eternal truth).

Is there an animal God?

Hindus belief that God is the Supreme Soul and he come many times and in many places and in different forms. Each form that God takes has a particular role to play:

Animal
Name
Purpose
Fish Matsya He came to save the Vedas (holy scriptures from the floods)
Turtle Kurma Mount Meru was placed on his back while the ocean was being churned to get the nectar.
Boar Varaha Fought with Hiranyaksha the demon and raised the earth from the bottom of the universe)
Half man/half lion Narasimha Dev He came to save his special worshipper Prahalad.
What does the paint on your skin represent?

Tilak

The marking is called a tilak (mark or marking). Just like a school badge tell us which school you belong to the tilak shows which form of God we worship.

The two long markings represents the feet of Lord Vishnu or Krishna and the little leaf shaped marking represents Tulsi (the leaf of the Tulsi plant/holy basil)

Why is there such a thing as religion/Hinduism?

From a Hindu understanding there is something to life beyond our work, education or body. The different world regions are ways of answering and exploring these kinds of questions.

From Hindu belief, we believe god comes in different times and situations with a message and teaching that the people of that place are able to understand and practice.

Why do you wear a dot on your forehead? What does it mean?

The red dot on my forehead is called bindi. The colour red for most women would mean that they are married. Some Hindus, wear a red bindi after they perform their puja (ritual prayer).

How many festivals are there?

Radha Astami (birthday of Srimati Radharani)

There are many festivals in the Hindu calendar. Our spiritual teacher, Srila Prabhupada, said that every day is a festival.

There are three types of festivals:

  1. Celebrating a significant event in the life of a Deity e.g. Janamastami (Krishna’s birthday)
  2. Celebrating a significant event in life of a holy person e.g. the birthday of a particular teacher.
  3. Seasonal festivities or custom, e.g. spring festivals like Holi.

The main festival celebrated at Bhaktivedanta Manor is Janamastami. Other major festivals celebrated would be Diwali (new year), Gorvadan Puja (celebrating the cows), Gaura Purnima (birthday of Lord Chaitanya), Rama Navmi (birthday of Lord Ram). We also celebrate the birthday of our spiritual teacher, Srila Prabhupada and many other smaller.

Maha Shivaratri

Shivalingam – representation of Lord Shiva Gujarat, India

Celebrated either February or March, Shiva (Lord Shiva), ratri (night), Shivaratri meaning night of Lord Shiva. According to the ancient Hindu text Srimad Bhagavatam 4.4.14 Shiva means Auspicious.

Once Parvati asked, “O adorable lord, which of the many rituals observed in your honour pleases you the most.” The Lord replied, “the fourteenth night of the new moon in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is my favorite day. It is called Maha Shivaratri. My devotees give me great joy and happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths and offerings of flower, sweets and incense.”

Image of Shiva & Paravati sitting on Nandi Lord Shiva’s bull. Vijayanagar Empire, India, founded in 1336 a UNESCO world heritage site

 

Following are some explanations on the significance of Shivaratri.

As well as this being the night that Lord Shiva came into being, it is also believed that this was the night of the marriage between Lord Shiva and Paravati.

Some Hindus say that this is the day that Lord Shiva drank poison to save the universe.

Its also believed that this was the day that Lord Shiva performed his dance of creation, preservation and destruction.

 

 

Virupaksha Temple an important place of pilgrimage for many devotees of Lord Shiva. Worship here has been going on for more than 7 centuries making this temple the oldest in India.

How do devotees of Lord Shiva worship on this day?

Aspirants and devotees of Lord Shiva fast the whole day, many of them without taking a single drop of water. Some temples and ashrams perform fire yajnas (fire sacrifice) to Lord Shiva for peace and welfare of all. The whole day is spent in chanting of the mantra “Om namah Shivaya” and in meditation upon the Lord.

Both Lord Shiva and Paravati are worshiped on this day. Married women perform pujas (prayers) to the goddess Paravati for the longevity of their husbands. Unmarried women would pray to Lord Shiva to attain a husband like him as Lord Shiva is considered the ideal husband.

Nataraja – the supreme Lord of dance is another of the many names of Shiva. Some major Hindu temples will hold annual dance festivals as a sign of respect for Lord Shiva.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sir John Leman

Perfect for our learners, whom had never been to a Hindu place of worship before and an excellent contrast to Swaminaryan with regards to being Hindu yet a different denomination within Hinduism.

Everything was just fantastic and our students thought the world of everyone they came into contact with. It was simply brilliant and a trip that we will most definitely be repeating. Thank you for having us! – Yr 10 January 2017 visit

Notre Dame 2016 Thank you notes

Vasant Panchami

Vasant (or sometimes Basant) Panchami marks the beginning of spring. The festival usually falls during February and March. It is one of two spring festivals the second being Holi. Vasant meaning spring and Panchami means the fifth day.

In northern India Vasant Panchami is celebrated with kite festivals. The colour yellow is associated with this festival and many would consider it auspicious to wear yellow clothing on this day. Many children begin their learning on this day as it is a day for worshipping the Goddess Sarasvati. Many Hindus will visit temples and donate books and literary materials to the poor.

Sarasvati is the Goddess of Learning and the Arts, and is closely connected with many aspects of Hindu culture. She is particularly worshipped by scholars, students and performing artists. She is the consort of Brahma, the creator.

 

She is also called Vedamata, meaning ‘mother of the Vedas’ or ‘mother of knowledge’. She has three main forms:
  1. As Vach (speech personified)
  2. As the Goddess of learning and the arts
  3. As the legendary river (now dried up).
She also goes by the names Shatarupa (goddess of material existence) and Bharati (‘eloquence’).
Sarasvati is shown dressed in an elegant white sari with a deep blue border. In two hands she strums the vina, whilst her other hands hold the rosary and a book.

Dunmow St. Mary’s Primary

October 2016 visit feedback from the Year 5 class teacher

Seeing the shrine
Score: 5
Strength: It was a pleasure to hear the children of Bhaktivedanta Manor School singing and playing music at the end. It was a powerful experience for our children who don’t often experience that kind of communal joy.

Organisation on the day, including timetable
Score: 5
Strength: A very warm greeting, everybody was very generous with their time and the children were absolutely enthralled with every activity.

Everybody was very accommodating. We were really happy with the day you planned for us and the activities you were able to offer.

A fantastic visit, I hope we can organise another the next time we look at this topic!

 

Nobel School

June 2016 year 8 feedback

Booking procedure
 Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Organisation on the day, including timetable
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Main presentation(s)
A) Pitching for audience (for age, background, etc)
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

B) Relevance and accessibility
Score: 4
Strength:
Suggestions:

C) Academic or information content
Score: 4
Strength: The meditation sessions were particularly enjoyable and the students have been very positive in their feedback. Tulsi’s explanation of the Atman etc was very relevant. A little more information on Krishna himself – festivals stories etc would be quite interesting.
Suggestions:

Tours and cart rides
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Dressing-up workshops
Score: 5
Strength: The students and staff thoroughly enjoyed this.
Suggestions:

Seeing the shrine
Score: 5
Strength: Wonderful
Suggestions: The students did comment that it would have been interesting to speak to the pujari and ask questions. Maybe a few minutes could be given to this before lunch. We would be happy to arrive a little earlier in future to accommodate this.

Lunch
Score: 5
Strength:
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Face painting
Score: 4
Strength:
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Souvenir/resource shop
Score: 5
Strength: students really appreciated the opportunity to purchase a reminder of their visit.
Suggestions:

Hospitality and friendliness
Score: 5
Strength:
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Value for money
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

The overall visit
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Further Comment
An excellent time was had by staff and students alike, on both days. We have already booked our visits for next year June. The students have all been very positive and thrilled in respect of the welcome that was extended to them. Thank you so very much.

Royal Masonic School for Girls

May 2016 feedback form

Booking procedure
 Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Organisation on the day, including timetable
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Main presentation(s)
A) Pitching for audience (for age, background, etc)
Score: 5
Strength: Lovely range of activities for the year group
Suggestions:

B) Relevance and accessibility
Score: 4
Strength: The hands on sessions were good
Suggestions:

C) Academic or information content
Score: 4
Strength: The Trimurti and focus on vegetarianism was well explained. They got a good understanding of the growth of UK Hare Krishna movement.
Suggestions: Would have liked more detail on the arti ceremony and the main shrine itself

Tours and cart rides
Score: 4
Strength: Girls enjoyed the cart rides and meeting the animals.
Suggestions: More explanation of why the sacred basil is so important and how it is used for worship may have been beneficial.

Dressing-up workshops
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Seeing the shrine
Score: 3
Strength: Lovely to see the congregation in action
Suggestions: It would have been good to have gone through the shrine and arti ceremony in more detail

Lunch
Score: 5
Strength: Fabulous food, everyone responded really positively.
Suggestions:

Face painting
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Souvenir/resource shop
Score: 5
Strength: Really good range of items for them, pitched very well.
Suggestions:

Hospitality and friendliness
Score: 5
Strength: Very warm welcome and excellent hosts throughout
Suggestions:

Value for money
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

The overall visit
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

Further Comment
Students were very positive about the day, they really enjoyed it! All the staff involved were very approachable and balanced learning and fun. Our staff very positive about the day too! Please send our thanks to all involved, we had a wonderful visit.

Galley Hill Primary & Nursery

February 2016 trip feedback form:
Booking procedure
Score: 5
Strength: All information was clear and easily accessible.Organisation on the day, including timetable
Score: 5
Strength: The day was very well organised with the children being moved between activities at pace so that they never got bored. The balance of different types of activities was perfect to maintain their interest and educate them.
Suggestions:Main presentation(s)
A) Pitching for audience (for age, background, etc)
Score: 5
Strength: Excellent – the children were engaged throughout and were spoken to in a manner that they could understand but was not patronising.
Suggestions:B) Relevance and accessibility
Score: 5
Strength:
Suggestions:

C) Academic or information content
Score: 5
Strength: Thank you for providing the children with lots of information about Hinduism in general in addition to your specific beliefs and practices. The children were reminded about learning from school, which was brought to life for them, and learnt lots of new information. The information was delivered in a way that it was clear you were talking about your beliefs without any suggestion that you were pushing them onto others in any way.
Suggestions:

Tours and cart rides
Score: 5
Strength: The children (and adults) LOVED the cart rides and feeding the cows. We were also lucky enough to see the cows being milked. The grounds tour was really interesting. We really liked the opportunity for the children to move freely around the George Harrison Memorial Garden where they were safely contained!
Suggestions:

Dressing-up workshops
Score: 5
Strength: What an amazing experience! The children were not pushed into doing anything they were not comfortable with but most fully engaged in this activity.
Suggestions: It would have been nice if the girl’s faces had been painted to co-ordinate with when they were wearing their saris for the full look but we of course understand that time constraints do not allow for this!

Seeing the shrine
Score: 5
Strength: How lucky we were to see the children from the school chanting and playing instruments in the shrine area – thank you.
Suggestions:

Lunch
Score: 5
Strength: Delicious – so many more of the children tried it and enjoyed it than we, or they, expected. I think it was really sensible to bring the chips out later than the rest of the food to encourage them to try something new first. Thank you to everybody who cooked and served us.
Suggestions:

Face painting
Score: 5
Strength: Thanks for letting even us adults have our faces painted!
Suggestions:

Hospitality and friendliness
Score: 5
Strength: You could have not been more friendly and welcoming. The people who led our experience MADE it for us. Thank you from all of us who came for welcoming us so amazingly into your temple and treating us so wonderfully.
Suggestions:

Value for money
Score: 5
Strength: The school funded this trip as we feel it is very important for the children to have such experiences. We feel that we got an excellent experience for what we paid.
Suggestions:

The overall visit
Score: 5
Strength: Fantastic! We would certainly repeat this trip.
Suggestions:

Further Comment
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! This trip met all of its objectives perfectly and the children came back to school so very positive about their experience. Please pass on our thanks to all who made it so wonderful. We hope to come back soon!