A mandir is a place where Hindus go to worship.
Hindus are people who follow the Hinduism religion.
At a mandir, there are shrines for different Hindu gods and goddesses, also known as deities. Different deities can be worshipped depending on the mandir.
Meet Nikhil as he shows you around his local mandir
Explore some of the features that can be found in a mandir.
Nikhil: Hi, I’m Nikhil, and I’m a Hindu.
This is my mandir – that’s what a Hindu temple is called.
It looks special, doesn’t it? It has an archway and loads of carvings of Hindu deities, or gods and goddesses.
I really like Ganesh. That’s the deity who looks like an elephant!
When we go inside, we always take our shoes off to keep the mandir clean and respect the deities.
And it smells really sweet and smoky inside because of the incense and lamps.
The most sacred part of the mandir is the shrine. It holds the statues of the deities, called murtis.
When we reach the shrine, we ring a bell to tell the deity that we’re here.
At our mandir, during arti, one of our main religious ceremonies, worshippers offer items such as incense, flowers, and water. A lamp is also passed around.
That’s why it’s also called the ceremony of lights.
Hindus offer prayers and songs, and the priest offers food to the statues of the deities. He then shares the blessed food, called prashad, with the worshippers. It is very special and yummy.
Many Hindus also worship at their own shrines at home. This is our shrine.
I hope you enjoyed visiting my mandir. Bye, everyone. Bye, Ganesh!
What is in a mandir?
Hindus believe in one supreme being called Brahman. They believe that there are different parts to Brahman, shown in different gods and goddesses, or deities.
In a mandir, there are statues of different deities. They are called murtis, which are kept as part of a A place connected to a religious figure or event..
Many Hindu people also have a shrine at home.
Here are some things that are in a mandir
Image caption, Murti
This is a statue of a deity or goddess, called a murti.
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Ways of worship
People take off their shoes and wash their hands when they enter a mandir.
Hindu services are led by a Brahmin priest.
When they reach the shrine, Hindus ring a bell as a symbol of waking the deity.
People sing songs or say prayers called mantras.
Passages are read from Hindu religious books.
Depending on the mandir, Hindu people or the priest offer food to the deities. This is called prashad.
Prashad is blessed and given to the people in the mandir at the end of the service
There are different types of service at a mandir. Some are held in the morning and evening, such as arti and puja.
Arti is one of the most important ceremonies and takes place five times a day at the mandir. It is also called ‘the ceremony of light’, where the lamps are waved in front of the images of deities.
Puja is offering light, flowers, water and food to the deities.
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