Comparing a Hindu Temple and a Christian Church
Introduction In March 2014, as part of their UK Cultural Connections study topic, the students of West Heslerton Primary School in North Yorkshire visited the Leeds Hindu Mandir. It was an exciting experience! Afterwards members of the After School Club visited the Church of St Andrew in East Heslerton and helped to make this Power Point presentation which compares the similarities between a Hindu temple and a Christian church. This presentation may be used by anyone who wants to find out more about these special buildings and what they have inside.
This is a special building used by Hindu people for their worship. It is called a temple or mandir. What is the special building used by Christians for their worship called?
Christians worship in buildings called churches. This is a picture of St. Andrew s Church in the village of East Heslerton, North Yorkshire.
When you arrive at a Hindu mandir the first thing you do is remove your shoes. Then you go into the main room which is a big, open space and you sit or kneel on the floor. What do you do when you arrive at a Christian church?
When you arrive at a Christian church you keep your shoes on. You either sit in benches called pews to listen to the church service or kneel on cushions to pray.
In the Hindu religion this symbol is very special. It is called Om and it represents the sound that Hindu people believe was made when the world was first created. You will find lots of Om symbols in a Hindu mandir. What is the most well known symbol found in a Christian church?
You will find lots of symbols in Christian churches but the most well known is the cross. It reminds Christians of the cross that Jesus was crucified on and of the sacrifices he made for people. You will see crosses made of all different materials in churches wooden crosses, metal crosses and stone crosses like this one.
The most sacred space inside a mandir is the area where the altars are. Statues of Hindu gods stand on the altars. Ornate carved stone and colourful fabrics are used to decorate the altars. The most sacred space inside a Christian church is also the area where the altar is. How is the altar space decorated in a Christian church?
A church altar is often covered with a nice cloth and has special objects on it like crosses and candles. The space around the altar is often filled with paintings, carvings and fancy tiles to show how special it is.
There are lots of sacred texts in the Hindu religion. It is believed that some were revealed by the god Brahma himself. These are assembled in the Hindu holy book called the Vedas and include hymns and charms. What is the holy book used in Christian churches called?
The Christian holy book is called the Bible. Here is a picture of a Bible. The special stand it is sitting upon is called a lectern. In many churches the lectern is in the shape of an eagle, like this one.
In a Hindu mandir you will often find wall paintings like this which tell the stories of Hindu gods through pictures. In Christian churches where can you most often find stories told through pictures?
In Christian churches stained glass windows are often used to tell stories. The pictures in the stained glass often tell stories of the people and events of the Bible. The stories can make you feel happy and sad.
You will find bells in every Hindu mandir. They are rung when people sing, chant and say their prayers. What kind of instrument is most commonly found in Christian churches?
The most common musical instrument found in Christian churches is an organ. Organ music is often played to accompany people when they are singing hymns.
This presentation was made by West Heslerton Primary School and The Churches Conservation Trust. Thank you to all of the students, staff and parents who helped and thank you to the people at the Leeds Hindu Mandir for a wonderful and inspiring visit. We hope that lots of other schools use and enjoy this resource! The Church of St. Andrew in East Heslerton is cared for by The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT).