Year 5 Take Part in a Hindu Workshop

Year 5 usually spend the Spring Term learning about Hindu beliefs and customs so we were really excited when Indri and Krishna from the Hindu Education Service agreed to work with us for a day in January to kickstart our topic.  Mrs Barrett and Mr Innes were there at 7am to greet them and help them to unload what seemed like a never-ending supply of religious artefacts and cultural items! We were very glad when some of our Year 5 pupils arrived at school early as promised, to help get our workshop set up.

The day began with a whole school assembly during which Indri demonstrated how to greet people with respect according to Hindu tradition and explained the importance and reasoning behind Ahimsa (non-violence).

During the rest of the day Year 5 encountered a wide range of new concepts and different activities; experiencing both the calmness of meditation and the lively fun of collaborative stick dancing; learning about how belief in reincarnation impacts on Hindu lifestyle and dressing up to understand more about the symbolism of the Trimurti. Indri and Krishna were delighted to see how much care the children were taking as they decorated their hands and faces with Indian designs using water-based paints. The children were fascinated to see some of the ways in which Indri worships, using beads, mantras and performing the aarti ceremony.

Even some of our teachers and parent helpers learned new skills during the day, especially when they were asked to help children to put on a sari or shawl and turban and our Hindu children proved to be excellent hosts, as they exchanged stories and family traditions, whilst looking after our guests over lunchtime.

There were many highlights throughout the day, but perhaps one of the best moments occurred towards the end of the day, when more than 60 children, dressed in Indian clothes and holding colourful sticks danced the Dandiya Raas circle dance together. After concentrating and cooperating so well, no wonder there was such a tangible sense of delight when Year 5 realised that they had completed the whole dance successfully. What a great sense of achievement to finish the day!

Mrs Barrett

RS Co-Ordinator, King Edward’s Junior School