The Mandir
The Mandir is the Hindu place of worship. Hindus believe it is the house of God and it is a very sacred place. A mandir can be a huge temple or a tiny roadside shrine. In Britain, Maunders are usually houses or meeting halls that have been converted to serve the local Hindu community. The main section of the maunder is laid out in the shape of a mandala. A mandala is a sacred symbol which represents the universe and the four direction.
Each Mandir is dedicated to a particular deity. Hindus believe that this deity is literally present in the Mandir in the form of a murti. A murti is a statue or image of a deity which is blessed by the priests in a special ceremony. Once this ceremony has taken place, the deity is present in the murti. To Hindus, the murti is deity and must be treated with all due care and respect.
The mandir is the house of God and the main job of the priests is to serve God by taking care of the murtis. Every morning the priest wakes the murtis up, bathes them and dresses them in clean clothes. He offers them meal throughout the day, and closes the shrine to the public in the afternoon so that the murtis can rest. In the evening he dresses them in their nightclothes and gets them ready for bed.
If you click the link below it will lead you to a video link of a virtual tour of a Mandir temple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPEQnYdQXOY
Each Mandir is dedicated to a particular deity. Hindus believe that this deity is literally present in the Mandir in the form of a murti. A murti is a statue or image of a deity which is blessed by the priests in a special ceremony. Once this ceremony has taken place, the deity is present in the murti. To Hindus, the murti is deity and must be treated with all due care and respect.
The mandir is the house of God and the main job of the priests is to serve God by taking care of the murtis. Every morning the priest wakes the murtis up, bathes them and dresses them in clean clothes. He offers them meal throughout the day, and closes the shrine to the public in the afternoon so that the murtis can rest. In the evening he dresses them in their nightclothes and gets them ready for bed.
If you click the link below it will lead you to a video link of a virtual tour of a Mandir temple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPEQnYdQXOY