As I stated in earlier postings, religion is the entryway into learning and experiencing another culture. So in keeping with that idea I knew that it would be absolutely necessary to visit a Hindu Temple in order to fully connect students to Indian culture.I found the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland to be absolutely amazing. First of all I contacted their main number and they forwarded me to Krish who would give us a tour. Krish was great because he is used to giving tours to students and he know how to engage them. The first thing he did was ask students what they already knew about Hindusim and then took us up to the temple where his first instructions were to just walk around and observe. This was fantastic because it allowed students to go at their own pace and to explore with questions to ask Krish when they came back. On this walk around the temple two of my students ended up helping two women cut flowers for upcoming ceremonies. I wish I could have taken a photo of this scene but no photos are allowed in the temple.
Krish then took us around to each altar and explained the significance of each diety. We ended our tour of the temple with an official blessing by a priest at the Vishnu Temple. It was great to see all of my students listening to the prayers and watching the blessings all at the same time trying to figure out what was going on. Krish later explained everything to us over mango lassis and spicy snacks. This was really an engaging culural experience. Definitely ask for Krish.
Contact Info:
Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
6905 Cipriano Road
Lanham, MD 20706-3806
(301) 552-3335
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