What is a Hindu?

A Hindu is a person who practices the teachings of the Vedas and recognises that the ways and means of union with the supreme God are diverse. Hindus realise that although many representations of God exist, God is still one.

The religion is practiced by the people from India but it does not mean that all Indians are Hindus. Neither does it mean that all Hindus are Indian. The practices of Hindus are varied. It is possible to distinguish some Hindus by the way they dress or through marks on their foreheads e.g. the Aayapans wear black clothes and have a black dot on their forehead; worshippers of Lord Shiva sometimes mark their forehead with three lines of holy ash; Lord Krishna worshippers may have a U-shaped yellow mark on their forehead and may even sometimes wear saffron robes; worshippers of Swami Narayan may mark their foreheads with a red dot.

The majority of Hindus in the United Kingdom follow the ancient traditions of going to Temples and having a shrine at home. Following traditional Hindu practices varies. At festival times, most Hindus will celebrate by visiting Temples.

What does a Hindu believe?

The main beliefs of a Hindu are

• Gods have appeared at various times through the ages when there has been a need and will continue to incarnate.
• The law of Karma means you will reap what you sow. What you are enjoying in this life is a direct result of your past deeds, either in this life or in previous ones.
• Reincarnation. Hindus believe that the soul is immortal and when you die, you will be reborn until you have equalised the good and bad Karma.
• Everyone will attain union with God once the Karma has been equalised. The means of equalising the Karma is through doing good deeds, prayers and service to mankind.
• All are equal; the soul within everyone is the same. It is the journey of the soul from one form to another that defines what form we are.

Since all are equal, Hindus consider taking away of any life is wrong.

How does a Hindu worship?

The Vedas declared that the most auspicious times for prayers were during the early hours of the morning. All practicing Hindus will consciously try and do their prayers during the mornings either at their home or in a Temple. As part of the prayers some meditation is also performed. As constant repetition of Gods name also removes bad Karma, Hindus are encouraged to remember God at every moment.

Prayers consist of chants, hymns and/or reading religious texts/scriptures.

How does a Hindu live?

The Vedas offer a complete system of living and define how a person should lead their entire life. The Vedas define four stages of a persons life:

• Brahmacharya (Student Life). This stage is for non-distractions, self-control and preparation for life.
• Grihastha (Family Life). At this stage a person carries out duties to family, society and nation. The person not only looks after their spouse and children but also the parents, grandparents and other relations (this can also include the neighbours). This is where the concept of service to mankind starts from home and extended family is defined.
• Vanaprastha (Retirement). This is the stage where the person starts to slow down, starts to pass responsibilities to the younger members of the family, starts to detach and to practice meditation
• Sanyasa (Preparation for Salvation). This is the stage where one has completely detached from worldly bondages and desires and the only attachment is towards God.

Who leads Hindus?

Priests who are trained in the Vedic practices lead services at the Temple. The priests attend a special school where they are taught the ancient sacred texts, chants and their meanings and how to conduct prayers. Traditionally the priests came from the Brahmin caste. As the Hindu religion is vast and the practices are varied, there is no single head of the worldwide Hindu community.

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Hindu Festivals:

Wednesday 7th March 2012 -  Holi celebrations - 7pm to 9pm
Saturday 3rd March 2012 - Mata Durga Chaunki & Bhajans - 3pm - 6pm
Saturday 17th March 2012 - Prarthana Group - 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Every Saturday morning (term time) - Vedic Bal Vikas
Every Sunday morning - Bhojan and Bhajan.
Every Sunday morning (term time) - Vedic Dance classes

Useful links:

BBC web site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism
Hindu Temple Southampton - www.vedicsociety.com

Forthcoming events:

Sunday 3rd June 2012 6pm to 10pm Sudeep Banerjee Shaam-e-Ghazal
- An Evening of Ghazals Sudeep Banerjee is a Ghazal Singer & a Music Director, with more than 50 Albums to his credit. He has directed music in films like “Chauser” and “With Love Tumhara”. Famous Ghazal singers like Jagit Singh, Sudesh Wadekar, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Kavita Krishnamurty & Anup Jalota have sung under his direction. His Latest album release is called “Shafaq ke Rang” Advance Tickets: £8 per Adult (under 12 children free) At the Door Tickets: £10 per Adult (under 12 children £2)  

For further details contact: Nupur Tiwari– 07842187148 or email– nprtiwari@yahoo.co.uk Tiku Shukla– 07791175045 or email– secretary@vedicsociety.com Manisha Shukla– 07780726522 or email– manisha.shukla@yahoo.co.uk  

Saturday 2nd June 2012 3pm to 6pm Mataji Ki Chawki

Sunday 3rd June 2012 6pm to 10pm Sudeep Banerjee Shaam-e-Ghazal - An Evening of Ghazals (poster)
Sudeep Banerjee is a Ghazal Singer & a Music Director, with more than 50 Albums to his credit. He has directed music in films like “Chauser” and “With Love Tumhara”. Famous Ghazal singers like Jagit Singh, Sudesh Wadekar, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Kavita Krishnamurty & Anup Jalota have sung under his direction. His Latest album release is called “Shafaq ke Rang” Advance Tickets: £8 per Adult (under 12 children free)
At the Door Tickets: £10 per Adult (under 12 children £2) For further details contact: Nupur Tiwari– 07842187148 or email– nprtiwari@yahoo.co.uk Tiku Shukla– 07791175045 or email– secretary@vedicsociety.com Manisha Shukla– 07780726522 or email– manisha.shukla@yahoo.co.uk

Friday 8th June 7 to 9pm Saturday 9th June 7pm to 9pm Sunday 11.15am to 12.50pm  Shri Anand Giriji Maharaj Discourses on Meditation and Yoga (in Hindi) Very well versed in Sanskrit Grammer, Ayurveda & Vedic Philosophies. A strong proponent of Indian culture, values, morals & ethics. He has taught Mantrayoga , Hathayoga , Rajyoga , Bhaktiyog , Jnanayoga , & Karmayoga  in the traditional Indian teaching institutions.

Her Holiness Dr Bageeshwari Devi talks
 Fri 15th June- 7pm to 9pm
Sat 16th June- 7pm to 9pm
Sun 17th June- 11:00am to 12:45pm

Saturday 30th June 2012 to Sunday 1st July 2012 Akhand Ramayan Recital    Vedic Society Hindu Temple, Southampton cordially invites you with your family and friends for the auspicious occasion of Akhand Ramayan Recital The recital will start at 9 am on 30th June and will continue non-stop until 1 pm on 1st July followed by Aarti & Bhojan Prasad. People interested in participating in the recitation are requested to give their names to: Panditji Pankajbhai Raval or Dr. Mamta Misra or Dr. Nupur Tiwari

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