"Full Circle"

"Puja" is a Sanskrit word meaning reverence, respect or veneration. Hinduism is a belief in Brahman, the infinite - that which has always been, and will always be. Because Hindus believe that we ourselves are divine, our lives on earth are therefore a search for the truth of that nature.

The astonishing variety of...
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"Full Circle"

"Puja" is a Sanskrit word meaning reverence, respect or veneration. Hinduism is a belief in Brahman, the infinite - that which has always been, and will always be. Because Hindus believe that we ourselves are divine, our lives on earth are therefore a search for the truth of that nature.

The astonishing variety of "murtis," or idols, worshiped by Hindus is, in essence, the art of man?s desire to put a face, or a shape on this unknowable greatness.

For the devout, worship through "puja" religious ritual is a crucial component of their lives as spiritual beings. There is as much diversity in these symbolic actions as there is in the multitude of gods that represent the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth at the center of Hindu philosophy.

Whether it is by a ceremonial cleansing by the holy waters of the Godavari River, a preparation of "prasad," food blessed by the temple, or a silent recitation of the Vedas, the world?s oldest scriptures, the purification and peace brought to those who perform "puja" surely brings them closer to the divine within themselves.

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Humanitarian Issues & Cultural Tradition Worldwide

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"Ritual and Romance in Asia" and "Agadez to Accra: from the deserts of Niger to the Gulf of Guinea" at

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