Hindu Practice Lesson Two:
Puja and Prasad: Daily Hindu Ritual

Objectives:

Procedure:

Show students the slide show on Hindu ritual, using the accompanying lecture notes.

Assessment:

Have students reflect, either in essays or in small group discussion, on the following questions:

1.Rituals are formalized actions that give meaning to different moments in life. The Emma Willard community has many different rituals that mark significant moments in the course of the year. Describe these rituals and what they mean to the community. Alternately, you can write about a ritual in your family, your religious community or in your personal daily routine. (This question is formulated specifically for the school where I teach, but it could easily be modified for your classroom.)

2. A pilgrimage is a journey undertaken for religious reasons, often with the idea that the traveler will be transformed and changed by the journey. Describe a journey you have taken, or wish to take, to a place that holds a special meaning for you and describe what impact that journey had on you.

3. Some Hindus, especially as they get older, choose to become sadhus- solitary ascetic holy men who beg for their food and other necessities. Giving food and other goods to sadhus creates good karma for the giver. Reflect on what might motivate people to adopt this lifestyle. Are there considerations or circumstances other than religious devotion that might make someone become a sadhu? What role might they play in Indian society? Can you think of a corresponding kind of person in American society?