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Question and Answer

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Q. Why do we break coconut?

A.  We all have seen it being done in all the poojas and sacred ceremonies. Coconut is broken at the inauguration of any project of significance. The following is the significance: Coconut represents our mind, thoughts, intellect … read more

In Custom

Q. Who is the Founder of Hindu Religion?

A.  Normally a philosopher/prophet comes up with a system revolutionary or at least that did not exist before. Accepting the new system, disciples and other people start following the religious system. And for the new religion that … read more

In Hinduism

Q. How do Hindus view other religions?

A.  Hindus have welcomed, embraced and lived peacefully among other religions for centuries. During those same centuries, Hinduism itself evolved into hundreds of strains, and thus Hindus are fully at home with many different traditions … read more

In Hinduism

Q. Why do many Hindus wear a dot (Tilaka) near the middle of their forehead?

A.  Tilaka is the mark worn on the forehead. It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. In the spiritual sense it signifies third eye, the spiritual eye, while the other two eyes being the physical eyes. By wearing this … read more

In Custom

Q. Why do Hindus light a lamp?

A.  Diya or a lamp signifies light. Light signifies knowledge. God is the eternal source of all knowledge. When we light a Diya or lamp we invoke God. Just as light removes darkness, knowledge removes ignorance. Why not light a bulb? … read more

In Worship

Q. What is Karma?

A.  As the soul moves from one body to another, it carries forward something along with it, which is nothing but what it has accumulated performing various deeds. This can be thought of as a global account that each soul is associated … read more

In Belief

Q. What is Moksha?

A.  Moksha that translates into liberation, is the fourth and final goal of the lives in the purushArtha sequence. What it is and why is this so important a concept? Hinduism puts forward the idea that the cycle of birth-death-rebirth … read more

In Belief

Q. What is Reincarnation?

A.  Carnate means “of flesh,” and reincarnate means to “reenter the flesh.” To followers of Hinduism, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Life and death are realities … read more

In Belief

Q. Is God a HE?

A.  Hinduism says, God is not just a He. It is beyond the created contours of gender. For this reason the scriptures very often use the term "It" to refer to God apart from using He and She. Especially when it comes to the Supreme in the … read more

In Belief

Q. God is Formless or with Form?

A.  Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol” as God. Followers of Hinduism worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive … read more

In Worship

Q. What is Vibhuti?

A.  Vibhuti is the holy ash obtained from the Yajna (Yagna or Havan) fire. Sacred ash signifies that the body's origin is from dust and ash and to dust and ash it shall return. The ash is a marker of impermanence. Everything in the … read more

In Custom

Q. What is Dharma?

A.  My duty based on my age, caste, gender, occupation, relationships etc is Dharma. Word comes from “Dharan” to adopt or hold or live by. English equivalent “Dhere” (Adhere, adherents, generally of a religion). Anything … read more

In Hinduism

Q. What is OM?

A.  Before there was creation, there was emptiness but GOD was still there. OM symbolizes the first manifestation of GOD in the form of sound or vibration. It is the first Saguna manifestation of GOD. Saguna is the one that can be … read more

In Hinduism

Q. Why do Hindus worship the cow?

A.  Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures. Cow was the most common domestic animal or pet in the Hindu society. Just … read more

In Worship

Q. What is Namaste?

A.  This word is made up of two words: ‘Namah’ means bow, ‘te’ means to you. In a very basic sense it means I bow to you, as a sign of respect from one human being to another. In the Hindu spiritual sense it means I bow to … read more

In Custom

Q. Why do we do Pooja (Prayer)?

A.  Pooja is a ceremonial act of showing reverence to a God or Goddess through invocation, prayer, bhajan and ritual. We are trying to establish communion with God. Through this act of pooja we establish a direct contact with the deity … read more

In Worship

Q. Why are there so many Gods in Hinduism?

A.  Contrary to prevailing misconceptions, Hindus all worship a one Supreme Being, though by different names. This is because the peoples of India with different languages and cultures have understood the one God in their own distinct … read more

In Worship

Q. Why do we use rice mixed with Kumkum (Red Powder) during pooja

A.  Rice represents prosperity and Kumkum represents divine energy. Mixed together they signify prosperity and divine blessings. When we apply those to the forehead or sprinkle them over the devotees, we are asking for divine blessings … read more

In Custom

Q. Why Hindus worship idols?

A.  According to Hinduism, Divinity can also be invoked and felt in a sacred fire, or in a tree, or in the enlightened person of a Satguru. In our temples, God is invoked in the sanctum by highly trained priests. Through the practice of … read more

In Worship

Q. What is the Caste System?

A.  Caste, from the Portuguese casta, meaning “clan” or “lineage,”. Quite long ago the society was divided into four castes depending upon the nature of service they do so that they together make sure the smooth running of the … read more

In Custom
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