To greet another person, a friend or acquaintance, to pay respect to an elder, a holy person or a temple deity, a Hindu joins his or her hands with palms together, bows down in front of the other person, and says Namaskar, Namaste, or Pranam - meaning Reverent Salutations. Thus when a Hindu joins his hands and says namaskar, he actually says in humility, "I bow to God in you; I love you and I respect you, as there is no one like you."

We want to everyone to get acquainted and for the pet and owner to feel comfortable with us and our service. See similar questions...

According to the Hindu belief, fasting has a way of neutralizing or minimizing chaos in the body. Instead of focusing on food, when fasting, the whole body assists one in going towards spirituality. Hindus fast in observance of a vow or holy day. Fasting can be done in many ways. A simple fast may consist of merely avoiding certain foods for a day or more, such as when non vegetarians abstain from fish, fowl and meats. See similar questions...

Hinduism is a very flexible religion, compared to other faiths. Although vegetarianism is encouraged it is not required. People with certain careers are permitted to eat meat as they need meat to build up their strength. Soldiers and police officers for example are free to eat meat as they need its strength. Priests are required to be vegetarians (with the exception of Hindu priests in Indonesia) to maintain their purity. See similar questions...

No, All can wear. Ancient texts have not limited wearing of these beads to any caste , religion or sex . Some ancient texts also talk of animals wearing them and achieving salvation . Make Rudraksha a part of your body. Your faith will bring grace in your life. Slowly you will find that you are moving away from non - Veg and alcohol. See similar questions...

Our "Bible " is called the Veda. The Veda, which means "wisdom, " is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God. See similar questions...

Yes, of course. Your host family and the person in charge of recruiting the families will be present. They can be reached at any time in case of any changes in the schedule. The Quebec City airport is very small and we can easily recognize one another. See similar questions...

The answer to this question is a complex one and again depends heavily on the sect which one refers to. The Hindu tradition includes many belief systems: polytheism, monotheism, monism, dualism, qualified monism and even atheism have all had a part to play in the development of the Hindu phenomenon. See similar questions...

The nature of the Supreme Being is described in a variety of ways in the different Hindu traditions. The created universe is variously identified as being identical to the Supreme (advaita), a part of the Supreme (visistaadvaita) or separate from the Supreme (dvaita). These are some of the main schools of thought which have resulted in the emergence of various sects and sub-sects; a whole host of other viewpoints exist which are too numerous to discuss here. See similar questions...

Idol worship is not actually mentioned in the Vedas themselves. The practice of idol worship is recommended in the mythological texts (the Puranas) and may also be linked to Buddhist and Jain influences. It has long been widespread amongst most Hindu traditions and is recognised by them as being a valid and proper method of worship. See similar questions...

Since Hinduism is itself a conglomerate of religions, an attitude of tolerance and acceptance of the validity of other belief systems has long been a part of Hindu thought. The sometimes huge and persisting disparity in beliefs between various sects show that Hindus are not necessarily eager to sweep aside differences, but the debates between sects have remained largely verbal in nature and have rarely resulted in violent conflict. See similar questions...

Major religious events like Kumbhabhisekam are performed to energise the Murthi(icon) with divine power, which can either be diluted or lost due to transgressions committed unknowingly by the priests or worshippers. Worshipping the icon gives the devotees access to God and His power. In the temple there are several types of Murthis(images). However as a Hindu matures, he/she realises that God is within them, and they depend less and less on pictures or idols of God. See similar questions...

It is considered a good practice to pray 2 times a day. Indian temples generally follow a practice of performing aarti (lighting of lights) at dawn and dusk as it is believed that the Gods rest during the afternoon and night. See similar questions...

This mark or tilaka has a religious significance and is a visible sign of a person as belonging to the Hindu religion. The tilaka is of more than one color although normally it is vermillion. It also does not have any standard shape and form and is applied differently by members of different Hindu sects and sub-sects. It is applied as a 'U' by worshippers of Lord Vishnu and is red, yellow or saffron in colour. It is made up of red ochre powder and sandalwood paste. See similar questions...

Ringing of a bell or ghanta during prayer or worship eliminates distracting sounds and helps the mind to concentrate on the object of worship See similar questions...

No. It can universally be worn by all. There is no discrimination. It is made by the lord for the welfare of humans, which includes people of all religion, caste, creed & sex. See similar questions...

No, infect, it is a science of directions. It was written 5000 years back keeping in mind that, who so ever resides in a house, will be benefited, so the question of religion does not arise. See similar questions...

quot;Divinity of Man: Hindus say that the underpinning to everything is the 'spirit' (referred to as Brahmm). This spirit manifests itself as the universe and all living things. Living things are clearer manifestation of the spirit and mankind is seen as the most transparent manifestation of the spirit. Hence reverence for life becomes the central tenet of Hinduism and is referred to as: Ahimsa (non injury to any living form). Hence many Hindus are vegetarian. See similar questions...

The Bindi or Tilak is applied on the forhead above the eyebrows at the seat of memory & intellect (Buddhi). it is applied at the spot where the energy in the form of electromagnetic waves is at its purest & potent. The Bindi or Tilak protects us, prevents energy loss and focuses the intellect on a righteous path. The colour red bindi denotes energy (Rajvic Guna for action) and the colour white tilak denotes purity (Satvic Guna for peace). See similar questions...