THE SCHOLARS' SCOOP

On July 11th, Ekambaram (Eka) Elumalai’s general studies class set out to the Sri Ganesha Temple (Hindu Cultural Center of Tennessee) with the guiding question “What is Hinduism and what is its importance in Indian culture?” Eka’s class core is to learn about India from movies, dances and religions.

Sarah’s general studies class about boredom joined the trip to the temple, The 2 hour bus ride to Nashville’s Hindu Temple allowed her scholars to experience boredom in action. The bus ride showed how scholars entertained themselves when bored from cards games to conversations.

At the Hindu Temple, scholars were able to see a glance at Indian architecture, specifically the architecture style from the Chola Dynasty of India. Once inside, scholars took off their shoes before heading to the prayer rooms out of respect. The belief of keeping impurity away from a sacred place was reflected by the cleanliness and beauty of the Hindu Temple.

In the prayer room there were a total of ten deities. Each deity had its own altar from Sri Durga the destroyer of evil and protector of good to Sri Lakshmi the goddess of prosperity.

The main deity Sri Ganesha resided in a room with a small entrance at the center back of the prayer room. Sri Ganesha is the god of wisdom and success that removes all obstacles. The elephant head indicates great physical strength tempered by gentleness, wisdom and peace. His broken tusk represents a wise person beyond the ‘me-other’ duality. His vehicle, the mouse, represents the ego controlled by him.

After taking a look at the prayer room, scholars were led into a classroom to learn more about Hinduism from their volunteer tour guide. She told them about how Hinduism is a way of life and a private matter. Hinduism believes the goal of human life is to realize the divine essence within themselves. There is a belief of reincarnation until humans reach the goal of God-Realization converting them from death to immortality. Methods to achieve their goals include mediation, service to others, or even as simple as being mindful while brushing their teeth. An example of a Hindu prayer goes as:

Asato ma sad gamaya I Tamasi ma jyotirgamaya I Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya I Om shantih shantih shantihi I I

Lead me from the Unreal to the Real, Lead me from Darkness to Light; Lead me from Death to Immortality, In the name of the Eternal, Let there be peace, peace, peace everywhere.

Leaving the Hindu Temple scholars were filled with information about the oldest belief system that is in Indian culture. It taught scholars perspective of the way many Indians live their lives.