Write a 2-4-page report on a Hindu temple, Jain temple, Buddhist temple, Sikh gurdwara, Muslim mosque, or other Tibetan or South Asian-oriented Buddhist group that you that you have visited.

RELIGIOUS VISIT EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT

The extra credit assignment is to write a 2-4-page report on a Hindu temple, Jain temple, Buddhist temple, Sikh gurdwara, Muslim mosque, or other Tibetan or South Asian-oriented Buddhist group that you that you have visited. You should plan your visit to coincide with an activity—a puja (worship), a holiday festival, worship, meditation, lecture, or yoga practice. If you go at a time other than these, the doors to the deities will likely be closed and there will not be much to see. You can get information about the schedule for puja, bhajan (congregational singing of devotional hymns), arati (another term commonly used for puja) and holiday celebrations from the temple website. Completion of this assignment can earn up to 10 pts. extra credit.

The following information should be included in the report.
1. Field Information. Give the full name, exact address, and religious affiliation of the temple or other place of worship or practice. (Don’t just say “Hindu temple.” Give the full name of the temple, and if relevant, the sectarian affiliation. For instance, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha builds beautiful temples in major cities in which Swami Narayan and his lineage [parampara] of successor gurus are worshipped as God, because they are considered to have achieved moksha and identification of atman and Brahman. Another example, the Vedanta Societies in major urban areas in the United States are affiliated with the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in India.) Give the exact date and time of the visit. Give the name and type of service/event attended.

2. Preliminary Placing Information. Describe the outside and inside appearance of the building, the way visitors are greeted, and the sort of people in the group (social class, lifestyle type, ethnic background, gender, average age, number present, etc.)

3. Description of Activity or Symbolism. If you attend a puja, worship, meditation, or a presentation, describe what happened from beginning to end. Try to give some sense of the emotional tone and subjective spiritual meaning of the scenario, e.g. was the opening dramatic or casual, is congregational participation emotional or reserved, is much of the service spontaneous or ritualized? Discuss in detail the significance of the art, architecture and symbolism in and around the site.

4. Analysis. Analyze the worship or event in terms of three forms of religious expression: theoretical (teachings), practical (worship), sociological (social organization and characteristics).

a. Theoretical. What were the teachings that were presented in this group, through a spoken lecture, literature handed out, the arrangement and worship of the murtis (images)? What is the main message this Hindu group gives through its sermons, practices, symbols, etc.
b. Practical. What is the basic nature of the worship? Formal or informal? Ancient or modern? Structured or spontaneous? What message about how this congregation conceives of the role of religion does the nature of the worship or event communicate?

c. Sociological. What kind of group is it? Close-knit or diffused? Mostly people drawn to the congregation by family or ethnic ties, or mostly committed converts of different backgrounds? What role does the priest(s) or leader play? Who are the leaders? Brahmin priests? Swamis? Laymen and/or laywomen? What are the roles for women and men? Are children included in the activities? Talk to people and see if you can determine the part of India that they come from. North or south? East or west? A particular Indian state? What message about religious experience and meaning is communicated by the nature of the social characteristics of the group?

5. Your opinion. Give your opinion of the group and the experience.

(Borrowed from Robert Ellwood, Many Peoples, Many Faiths, 5th ed., with modifications.)