Hindus believe that Aum was the very first sound made when the universe was created by Brahma. Aum is also the sound Hindus make when beginning and ending their prayers.
Lotus Flower
This symbol stands for purity, fertility, good fortune and progress.
Bindu
This is a coloured dot worn on the forehead of Hindu women. Married women wear a red dot. Unmarried women wear a black dot. Hindus believe it protects the wearer from evil.
The Cow
Hindus worship cows for their life-giving qualities (e.g. milk for food, hide for leather and dung for fuel). The cow represents humility and generosity. Hinduism rejects the whole idea of animal sacrifice.
Hinduism teaches that we have a duty to protect all living things.
Rituals
1. Samskara The first three samskara are celebrated while you are still a child in your mother’s womb. You receive the fourth samskara shortly after birth. You are washed and the sacred symbol of Aum is marked on your tongue with honey from a golden pen.
You receive the fifth samskara when you are twelve days old. A Hindu priest prays with your family and announces your name.
You receive the sixth samskara when you are one year old. Your head is shaved to represent purity. You are now said to have left all the sins of your previous lives behind you.
REMEMBER! Samskara is the religious ritual that introduces a Hindu into each new stage of life.
