Radha Krishna Temple ISKCON London

We now offer presentations to schools, both primary and secondary as well as universitity, from the general Hindu perspective as well as from that of our own specific Vaishnava tradition.

We offer tailor-made presentations to suit every requirement. We design the presentations to be engaging and experiential, and they can include a range of standard items described in other parts of this leaflet. We can either visit your school or host your group at our Radha-Krishna Temple, which features an authentic Hindu shrine. If you want us to visit your school, we need the hall or classroom free half-an-hour before the presentation.

Although we try to accommodate last minute requests, please do book well in advance to avoid possible disappointment. We realise you are busy at school, so — if you don´t mind - providing your residential telephone number can make our communications more efficient.

A full display of books, murtis, arati trays, posters, bindis, saris and fact sheets are available for purchase by teachers, trainees and students from our temple shop.

Providing a Guest Speaker for Your School

Our basic programme consists of:

• a short talk or discussion on aspects of Vedic (Hindu) Culture and Philosophy, such as:

• the historical development of Hinduism
• - teachings (concepts and values)
• - festivals and celebrations
• - sacred places of pilgrimage
• - rites of passage
• - moral issues
• a question-and-answer session

Other features can be added:

• Story-telling

• Demonstration of the arati ceremony

• Dressing up in Indian costumes and face painting (prayer, shawls, saris, dhotis, bindi and tilak)

• Playing Indian musical instruments

   

Visit to the temple

In addition to the facilities previously mentioned there are other opportunities, such as:

• See an authentic Hindu shrine with regular puja (worship) and kirtan (singing)

• Experience practical aspects of Vedic life

• Enjoy an authentic Indian vegetarian lunch

In-Service and Initial Teacher Training

ISKCON Educational Services also provides training for teachers striving to make the teaching of Hinduism as rewarding and effective as possible. These sessions usually address challenges teachers face, particularly in presenting a tradition with which they are often largely unfamiliar. Please contact us for more details.

Hinduism

What is Hinduism?

‘Hinduism’ is a Western term which refers to the diverse religious and cultural traditions stemming from the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit writings of India. Followers themselves often prefer the term ‘Sanatan Dharma’ (the Eternal Religion) indicating belief in universal and everlasting truths. The tradition, therefore, has no clearly definable beginning, though scholars date it back more than five thousand years. Hinduism, we can say with certainty, has no single founder and no common set of beliefs and practices.

Ideas of God

Despite the acceptance of a multitude of higher beings, most Hindus believe that God is one, either as the all-pervading world-soul or as the Supreme Person. The Supreme, however conceived, is worshipped in, or through, a variety of forms, of which three arc principal, namely Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti (the goddess). Especially popular amongst British Hindus today are Rama and Krishna, who most consider to be two of the incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu.

Key Concepts

Despite the diversity of the tradition, there are a number of philosophical concepts which are widely accepted and are usually passed down by spiritual teachers (gurus) appearing in disciplic succession. The main concepts are as follows:

atman: the real, eternal self (soul), distinct from the body and mind.
brahman: spirit, or the Supreme (God).
deva: demigod, one of the controlling superintendents of the material nature.
dharma: duty, or adherence to natural laws.
karma: the universal law of action and reaction
maya: illusion, whereby the eternal soul identifies with temporary matter.
reincarnation: transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
moksha: liberation from samsara through union with God.
samsara: the perpetual cycle of birth and death.

Worship

Worship regularly takes place at home as well as in the temple. Families usually have a shrine devoted to a particular deity in a part of the house set aside for puja (worship). Devotions are usually focused on sacred statues (murtis), especially in temples, and the most popular ceremony is called arti.

Other forms of congregational worship include bhajan (devotional songs), havan (the fire ceremony) and pravachan (religious discourses). Personal observances include fasting, meditation and taking darshan (audience) of the deity or holy person.