Manohar’s religion
Brrr! Manohar shivers as his mother pours water over him. He is standing
outside his house in the village of Amtala, India, and the morning air
is cold on his bare skin. But he must bathe first thing each morning,
right after he wakes up. This is a law of his religion.
When Manohar has bathed, he goes into the kitchen. Above the stove is a
shelf on which stands a picture of the god Siva. Each morning Manohar
puts a few grains of rice or a flower before the picture
as an offering. He presses the palms of his hands together and bows his
head. His mother lights a stick of sweet-smelling incense for the god.
Then, with yellowish paste, Manohar puts a round mark on his forehead
that shows he is a follower of Siva.
Manohar knows that while Siva is one of the greatest gods, there are
many others. Ganesha, the god of luck, has a man’s body and an
elephant’s head. The god Hanuman is a monkey. But Manohar knows that all
the gods are just different shapes of Brahman, the one great power that
rules all things.
Manohar believes that when he dies he will be born again, to start a new
life in a new body. If he is good and kind to everyone while he is
alive, he may be a rich man or a priest in his next life. But if he is
bad, he may be a dog, a snake, or even an insect!
Manohar is a Hindu. Hinduism is one of the oldest of all religions, and
the largest religion in India.
