2008 Woodie Awards
Caste your assumptions aside
Student Vidhi Patel answers questions about Hinduism
Vidhi Patel
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Religion & Politics
I believe that Hinduism is more of a way of life than a religion. I love being Hindu.
What do you believe in? One god or different gods?
• We believe in many gods, and we mostly pray to the most common one, Krishna.
Do you pray to one of them or all?
• We pray to all of them as a whole. I pray every day in the morning for my day to go well, and I also pray for my family.
Is there a special way to pray?
• There is not really a special way to pray; however, when I pray, I just say some chants and prayers for good luck and also for other things like health and for my family.
What is a major holiday that you celebrate?
• One that is coming up is Holi, which is when we all get colorful powder and throw it at each other. We do this to represent the spring season and the joy that it brings and the celebration of life. Another major holiday that we all celebrate is the Indian New Year, and that is called Diwali (Festival of Lights). We celebrate the whole year with religious songs and other hip- hop and movie songs. It's a big social event for everyone, and we all just get together and have fun.
What are some misconceptions associated with your religion?
• Many people believe that we have arranged marriages, and that was true in the past, but now the new generation feels like love is more important. The arranged marriages still occur in very small towns and in very non-futurized villages. More Indians who are in the United States have mixed marriages, not only with other religions, but with other castes as well. The caste system is like a pyramid of hierachy. The only way to be at the top is to do your duty, and you will be rewarded in the next life (reincarnation).
What do you believe in? One god or different gods?
• We believe in many gods, and we mostly pray to the most common one, Krishna.
Do you pray to one of them or all?
• We pray to all of them as a whole. I pray every day in the morning for my day to go well, and I also pray for my family.
Is there a special way to pray?
• There is not really a special way to pray; however, when I pray, I just say some chants and prayers for good luck and also for other things like health and for my family.
What is a major holiday that you celebrate?
• One that is coming up is Holi, which is when we all get colorful powder and throw it at each other. We do this to represent the spring season and the joy that it brings and the celebration of life. Another major holiday that we all celebrate is the Indian New Year, and that is called Diwali (Festival of Lights). We celebrate the whole year with religious songs and other hip- hop and movie songs. It's a big social event for everyone, and we all just get together and have fun.
What are some misconceptions associated with your religion?
• Many people believe that we have arranged marriages, and that was true in the past, but now the new generation feels like love is more important. The arranged marriages still occur in very small towns and in very non-futurized villages. More Indians who are in the United States have mixed marriages, not only with other religions, but with other castes as well. The caste system is like a pyramid of hierachy. The only way to be at the top is to do your duty, and you will be rewarded in the next life (reincarnation).
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