Christianity Islam Judaism Hinduism Sikhism Buddhism Jainism Baha'i Zoroastrianism

Origins / Beliefs

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the Indian subcontinent and is believed to be the first religion known to mankind. It developed from the VEDAS, which are the main Holy books, rather than from the teachings of a ‘founder’. Hindus hold a wide variety of beliefs about the nature of God and of ultimate reality.

They all hold to certain principle teachings which are:

  • Samsara: rebirth/reincarnation
  • Moksha: the soul can, through religious life liberate itself from the wheel of life and return to its Creator
  • Karma: the results of one’s good and bad deeds in previous lives
  • Dharma: the path of conduct - duty, responsibility and religion.

The Hindu Triad - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the main Gods.

  • Brahma is the Creator of the Spirit of the Universe, perfect and unchanging.
  • Vishnu is the Preserver of Life, loving and forgiving and ever watchful for the welfare of its worshippers.
  • Shiva is the Destroyer of Life who destroys to rebuild and is therefore the Giver of Life.

The main principals of Hinduism are:

  • Parmeshwar (God)
  • Prarthana (Prayer)
  • Punarjanma (Rebirth)
  • Purusharta (Law of Action)
  • Prani Daya (Compassion for Living Beings: Ahimsa or non-violence).

Meeting and Greeting

Namaste’ or ‘namaskar’ is the Hindu way of greeting each other. Namaste is the customary courtesy greeting to begin with and often to end with. Namaste means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as “na ma” (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another.

Main Religious Festivals and Holidays

HOLI is the Festival of Colours and was originally a harvest festival for farmers. RAKSHA BANDHAN is when sisters visit their brothers to renew vows of respect and support. Sisters tie a ‘rakhi’ a symbolic thread to their brothers wrist to protect them against evil. DUSSEHRA means 10 nights in Hindi and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. DIWALI is the Festival of Light when presents are exchanged. It marks the beginning of the Hindu calendar.

There are many other festivals when it is customary to fast for a period of time. These include Janmashtami, Mahashivrati and Rama Navami which are festivals celebrating the birth of key religious and historical figures.

Dietary Observations

Diet is very important and reflects Hindu respect for animal life and the principle of ‘ahimsa’ which means non-harming. Most Hindus follow a balanced vegetarian diet. Beef is not eaten. Tobacco and alcohol are not used.

Dress Code

Many Hindus in Britain wear ‘western’ dress for work in daily life but others prefer the traditional forms of clothing. The sari - a single length of draped cloth, is still the most popular form of dress for women. A kurta is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women.

One of the most recognizable items in Hinduism is the bindi, a dot worn on women’s foreheads. Traditionally, the bindi is worn on the forehead of married Hindu women. It symbolizes female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. The bindi is also a way of accentuating the third eye, the area between the eyebrows where attention is focused during meditation.

History of Hinduism in Preston

The first Hindu settlers, about 30 families, came to Preston from India in the early 1950’s and 1960’s.

In 1965 the members of the Hindu community came together for the first time to socialise and promote their cultural and social values to their children, forming the The Gujurat Hindu Society. The Hindu community organised various cultural and religious programmes in local schools and church halls. By 1973 there were about 400 Hindu families with most coming from east Africa. They looked for a premises where they could practice their religious teaching, have a place of worship and could socialise.

In 1974, the Hindu community were able to purchase the old St. Stephens’s School on South Meadow Lane in the Broadgate area. This was converted into a place of worship and a cultural centre and named the Gujarat Hindu Society Temple.

Part of the building is a dedicated temple for worship and the rest is used for community activities including hire of the hall and rooms for public and private hire for conferences, meetings etc. It is the largest Hindu Centre in the North West, and the second largest in the UK.