Worship is primarily an individual act rather than a communal one, as it involves making personal offerings to the deity. Worshippers repeat the names of their favourite gods and goddesses, and repeat mantras, and water, fruit, flowers and incense are offered to god (“Religions - Hinduism: Worship”). An essential part of puja for the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print (“Puja”). Most Hindu homes have a shrine people make offerings and perform rituals. Rituals are often performed three times a day. Some Hindus, but not all, worship wearing the sacred thread, a thread that hangs diagonally over the right shoulder to the left hip. The material the thread is made of is determined by the person’s social class. Temple is worship is structured somewhat differently from home worship. At the temple, where the gods are believed to dwell as royalty, puja is usually performed at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. Worshipers may also arrange for a puja to be done by a priest to mark a special event such as a birth or death or to ask for a particular favor (“Puja”). Festivals to each of the gods take place during the year, and a follower of a certain deity may choose to participate in the ceremonies associated with that …show more content…
The Partition happened in August, 1947 and was how India won their independence from the British and how Pakistan was formed. Although the Partition was mainly a political war, the religious aspect came into play when Pakistan was formed. Originally, India, Pakistan, and East Pakistan (now known as Bangladesh) were one country under British rule (“What was the Partition of India?”). However, the vast majority of the population was Hindu and the Muslims were a minority. Because they were a minority, they had minority protection status, but as India grew closer and closer to independence, they feared that they would lose this status (Ansari, “How the Partition of India happened – and why its effects are still felt today”). During the Partition, there were two key leaders: Mohandas Gandhi, an Indian nationalist, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the president of the Muslim League. Both leaders wanted independence from the British, but Jinnah proposed the formation of a new country: Pakistan. After World War II, on August 14, 1947, Pakistan was born. However, the formation of Pakistan didn’t end the fighting between the Hindus and the Muslims. There were many Muslims who emigrated from India and Hindus who emigrated from Pakistan. Travelers, who were innocent civilians, were often killed in their journey. Furthermore, India and Pakistan