LET'S LEARN(1)- PLACES OF WORSHIP

• Worship is a feeling of deep respect for a God or Goddess – the Almighty Creator and the Supreme Being.
• Ceremonies are done in front of a deity (photo, statue idol, etc) or imaging a spirit.
• Places of public worship are known by different names. Hindus call them temples; Christians call them church, Sikhs the gurudwara and Muslims the Mosque.
• Priests conduct and lead prayers in all public places of worship. Hindus call them Poojaris, X’ian as Fathers and Muslims the Imam.
• All public places of worship are well ventilated, silent, serene and extend calm and goodwill to the people.
• There are sacred areas in homes, with God fearing elders, where the members of the family join together for worship and offer their daily prayers. This is generally called a Prayer room.
• In temples, deities vary from place to place. The holy place where idols are worshipped is called a Sanctum Sanctorum.
• Here, people offer prayers, lit lamps, submit food and flowers, chant hymns, etc during prayer. They also conduct Pooja.
• In temples, bhajans are played on public address systems early in the morning and in the evening.
  Speeches and celebration are conducted during festive seasons.
• Satsang or classes on Holy Scriptures- the Bhagavad-Gita, Sree Mahabhagavatam and Ramayana etc are also organized under the auspices of the management committee…
• In churches, we can see an “Altar”, decorated and kept holy by the clergy, with idols of Mother Mary or Jesus Christ.
• Here, people lit candles and kneel to offer their prayers in Praise of thy Lord. Holy masses are conducted on Sundays, where Priests speak on moral issues and about the Holy Bible.
• In mosques, generally people gather soon after the Holy summon, 5 times every day. They offer the prayers with physical gestures coordinated with reciting verses from the Holy Quran.
• On Friday afternoons, Mass prayers are conducted in all mosques. This is usually preceded by a Holy Sermon either in Arabic or local language.
• On festive occasions, Muslims gather with their families in open common grounds called “Id Gah” and offer special prayers and animals. These are occasions when the mosque committee takes extra care to ensure social equity in its locality.