Introduction

My name is Dhavni Patel and I am eleven years old. This article is about Hinduism and its beliefs.

Not many people go to temples these days, perhaps due to the busy lives that we live! The majority of them do prayers at home, preferably in the morning after a shower.

Belief

Our main Gods are Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Ganesh. However in India there are at least 25 castes and they all believe and worship different Gods. Different people from different parts of India have slightly different beliefs from each other, though the above-mentioned beliefs are common.

All Hindus are not necessarily vegetarians; again it depends on caste and their belief. I do not eat meat because I have been brought up not to. We believe that every living creature has a soul and a right to life. Also, some of our Gods are in animal form which further shows us the importance of respecting animals.

Hindus can come from many areas of India; some are Gujarati, Punjabi, South Indian and Bengali etc.. Hence a Gujarati would like to send their children to a Gujarati school. All the above-mentioned castes have different mother tongues. Their style of living and dressing, food, weddings etc will be different.

We always believe in respecting elders and caring for them in their old age, very rarely are they put into a home. The majority of times a son and his family would look after his parents and would inherit his father's property.

Belonging

There are lots of family gatherings at weekends and also during festivals, weddings, births and deaths.

Girls are not given too much liberty in the sense that they are not allowed late nights, sleepovers, short clothes, e.g. exposing the body etc.. Girls are trained in housework, cooking and taught to be tolerant. Girls get married and leave their family to settle with their husband and accept their husband's family as their own family. Sex before marriage is highly criticised.

Eating beef is strictly prohibited, the reason being that the cow is treated as a holy animal. Hence there are a lot of areas of Hinduism, which help you to become more disciplined, which means a lot to me. For example prayers every morning means regular meditation, and strict behaviour with children to avoid various problems. Emphasis on education and hard work gives a better future and a steady life. A lot of importance is paid to elders and family integrity, which gives moral support during difficult times.

Being

I try to follow all the beliefs of Hinduism because in a way they teach me how to treat other human beings. I attend all the programmes and all the functions held by our community and temples. I give voluntary service to my community when needed to support its existence.

The festival, which is very important to Hindus, is Diwali. It means "row of lights". On this day homes are cleaned and decorated with lights. The significance of Diwali for believers is that good overcomes evil.

Diwali is a celebration of the return of Lord Rama to his palace (kingdom) after 14 years of exile to the forest and victory over a demon called Ravan.

Another aspect of Diwali is the worship of Lakshami the goddess of wealth and grace.

Another important festival is Raksha Bandhan. Raksha means "protection" and bandhan means "to tie". Girls tie a rakhia bracelet of silk thread onto a brothers wrist to wish him protection from evil. At the same time girls receive a gift from their brothers.

Krishnajanmashtami is a festival, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna. On this day Hindus fast until midnight, when Krishna is said to be born. There is singing, dancing, and offerings made in homes. The fast is broken by sharing prashad (food blessed by God).

Holi begins at the time of spring harvest. Festivities include lighting bonfires and spraying coloured dyes. The importance of this festival is to forget grudges and to make friendships.

As you can see there are so many festivals but my favourite is Diwali because during this time I get a chance to meet many relatives, particularly cousins and we can join in the celebrations together.

Though it is very hard to follow these beliefs and practice everything about Hinduism because I was born in a Western country, I am always trying to find the right balance between the two cultures. However as more and more people are aware of Hinduism, its beliefs, Diwali celebrations etc., in a few years I hope I will not find it so hard to adjust.