The Hindu Mandir

When Year 7 took a field trip to the Hindu Mandir yesterday, the regal, stately building standing before us took our breath away. The Baps Shri Swaminarayan is a place of worship for Hindus, or the House of God and is open to everyone and to anyone who would like to treat themselves to a visit inside the Hindu world. All of us were amazed at the colourful, sacred patterns on the rugs and the impeccable carvings of the murtis and different gods.

The first step into the Mandir felt like the first step into India and I could almost smell the fiery twang of Indian spice. During the arti ceremony, I couldn’t help but envy the sadhus (priests) as they lit a candle and waved it simultaneously while singing and praising God, and I wished I could chant with them.

We were then led down into the exhibition where we uncovered more knowledge about Hinduism and the Mandir, and we wrote down a few of the facts. I found out about the Vedas, the ‘reservoirs of the universe’ that were revealed by God to the Great Seers of India, that were then passed down by mouth and experience until documented. I loved reading the different stories about Hinduism; many were about sacrifice, as it is very significant in Hindu culture. I felt like I could stay in the exhibition forever, but soon we had to go and I left the Mandir feeling exhilarated.

Sonja Moore, Year 7