On Thursday, the Year 9 and 10 girls were treated to a fascinating presentation about the practice and excitement of the Hindu faith. Ms Shah explained the origins of Diwali to the girls. The most interesting part was when she came to describe the colour and ritual of the wedding ceremony. She would have brought her own wedding dress but it was way too heavy. Ms Shah used the example of her own recent wedding to provide the detail: for example, the bride’s parents walk the groom down the aisle to show they accept him as part of their family. Of course, lots of food is served and the outfits are very important!

There was a Q&A session after, where questions such as:
‘What language do you pray in?’ were asked. The answer was Hindi or Sanskrit.
Why don’t you wear white for a wedding? Because it is worn for a funeral.
Are their different groups? Yes – each household can have their own gods. Families can also have their own temples at home with their family idol and a space to pray.
Are you allowed to marry someone of a different religion? It is a personal choice.
Do you have an everyday dress code? Yes: a general sense of modesty is required.
Do you have a religious book like the Torah? Yes – we have a book of scriptures and stories called the book of Vedas.

Is there a conversion process? There is no official way of converting, one can just join in and evolve as part of the culture.

Thank you so much to Ms Shah for a really engaging and informative presentation.