Current parent, Mrs Patel, gave an insightful talk to Form 4 pupils about the customs and traditions of Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest surviving religions and the religion the children are currently studying in class. The children found out about the Hindu belief that life is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth and that the actions in this life, or ‘karma’, have an effect on the future.
Mrs Patel explained that Hinduism is over 4,000 years old and is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices. It originated near the Indus River in India. The name 'Hindu' comes from the word Indus. One of the main concepts is that kindness leads to good karma, whilst selfishness leads to bad karma. One Form 4 pupil commented, ‘We learned about different festivals and Hindu stories and how people worship different Gods. Mrs Patel came in on the day of Diwali and she explained how her family celebrate this festival of light.’
The children were surprised to learn that there are over 300 different festivals, nearly one for every day of the year. Another child remarked, ‘I found out that Hindus consider the cow to be a sacred symbol of life that should be protected because they provide milk which is said to nourish you. The cows are free to wander around in the street.’
In Religious Studies lessons, the pupils have learned about the main concepts of what it is to be a Hindu, including major festivals such as Holi (the festival of colours), Diwali (the festival of light) and new beginnings and the link with the story of Rama and Sita, the importance of Lakshmi to Hindus and Puja, the Hindu form of worship. In her talk, Mrs Patel explained about the four puruṣārthas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and Moksha (liberation, spiritual values). Moksha is considered the ultimate ideal of human life. She also talked to the children about how traditions, including cooking and worship, are passed down through the generations, saying, ‘Never forgetting where your roots and where your ancestors have come from is important for Hindus’.
