# Can I visit a Hindu temple or anything like that? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679 "2008-09-08T21:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/41 "2008-10-16T16:16:01Z")
My children are fortunate enough to attend a school that has a whole unit of inquiry on beliefs at least twice in primary school. Last year in grade 4 they went to a Hindu Temple, a Mosque, a Synagogue and St Paul’s Cathedral. It seems to go a long way in fostering understanding among the school’s numberous religions and cultures. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/42 "2008-10-16T16:27:07Z")
> [@kbear](#): > > My children are fortunate enough to attend a school that has a whole unit of inquiry on beliefs at least twice in primary school. Last year in grade 4 they went to a Hindu Temple, a Mosque, a Synagogue and St Paul’s Cathedral. It seems to go a long way in fostering understanding among the school’s numberous religions and cultures. OH NOES! THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY TURNING THEM MOOSLIM! 😃 I am so very happy to read this thread and all of the responses. I have experienced a bit of discrimination for being Indian. Thankfully I don’t look very Indian, but I have been accused of siding with my Mooslim friends and have had people visibly flinch when I tell them where I’m from (after I’ve been asked no less!) It’s nice to know it’s not universal. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/43 "2008-10-16T16:32:32Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Good, because when people ask me if I have anything to do with them, I want to run away. 🙂 Are there any Indian Hare Krishna devotees? I thought they were all white people. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/44 "2008-10-16T16:34:11Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Good, because when people ask me if I have anything to do with them, I want to run away. 🙂 Mormons feel very similarly about polygamists, believe me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/45 "2008-10-16T16:43:47Z")
Yes, my girlfriend did this as a project for a religion class she was taking. The people were all very welcoming and extremely nice and it was generally a pleasant experience for her. YMMV. Although I really don’t think every American needs to be a religious scholar and be able to tell apart every denomination (especially when the differences are often negligible). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/46 "2008-10-16T16:48:08Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Although I really don’t think every American needs to be a religious scholar and be able to tell apart every denomination (especially when the differences are often negligible). There’s a difference between being “a religious scholar” and being culturally aware. Anyway, she’s not talking about visiting every denomination- just the one Hindu temple, for example. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/47 "2008-10-16T16:51:22Z")
I was under the impression that the Temple of Gold here in WV was a sect that had broken off from the other HK sects? I remember people saying what a smelly, dirty dump it was surrounding this gorgeous building. But that could just be local idiocy and not the truth. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/48 "2008-10-16T17:20:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Are there any Indian Hare Krishna devotees? I thought they were all white people. Yes, there are Krishna devotees in India. [ISKCon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness) came about when [Vaishnava](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudiya_Vaishnavism) people sent one of their religious teachers, [Abhay Charan De, aka Prabhupad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prabhupada_A.C._Bhaktivedanta) to New York City to teach Americans about their religion. I know several Vaishnava from India as well as a few second-generation Hare Krishna westerners who were raised and educated partially in India. **Dangermom** , there are Vaishnava services of the Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Matha (the group from which ISKCon descended) in Salt Lake City as well as at the ISKCon temple in Spanish Fork. There are subtle differences between the two. Hinduism is also practiced differently on the island of Bali, where they worship God not only as Krishna/Radha, but also Siva, Ganesa, Buddha and many local forms. The Balinese that I spoke to respect ISKCon, unlike what I have seen of the relationship between mainstream mormons and polygamist splinter groups. ISKCon is very welcoming if you want to attend their services. Yes, I know that it might not be what you consider ‘real’ Hindu, but ‘Hindu’ covers a lot of ground. By way of analogy, there are Christians who don’t consider mormonism to be ‘real’ Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/49 "2008-10-16T17:25:56Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > ISKCon is very welcoming if you want to attend their services. Yes, I know that it might not be what you consider ‘real’ Hindu, but ‘Hindu’ covers a lot of ground. By way of analogy, there are Christians who don’t consider mormonism to be ‘real’ Christianity. Just by way of clarification, **ascenray** and **aanamika** said _mainstream_ Hinduism, not real Hinduism. I don’t think any offense was intended (though I could be wrong). ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/50 "2008-10-16T17:53:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Just by way of clarification, **ascenray** and **aanamika** said _mainstream_ Hinduism, not real Hinduism. I don’t think any offense was intended (though I could be wrong). I didn’t think any offense any offense was intended, but being familiar with the relationship and the feelings between mainstream mormons and polygamist splinter groups, at least in Utah, I just wanted to clarify. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/51 "2008-10-16T18:01:40Z")
Well, feelings will vary a lot with location, too. Utahns are probably a little more worked up about it than the rest of us are. It was, in any case, meant to be a light-hearted remark. Out here we don’t give a lot of thought to it, except when someone asks us and we want to run away. I doubt that a Swede would many feelings on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/52 "2008-10-16T18:07:58Z")
I don’t like Hare Krishnas for the sheer reason that they proselytize. (God, I hate spelling that word.) I don’t like that particular practice in any religion. Hindus…well, there’s no rule against it, I don’t think, but there’s no rule stating to do it, either. It’s not our thing. People should be allowed to worship whatever religion they choose in peace, and trying to convert them is not leaving them in peace, IMO. Other than that, I have no real problem with Hare Krishnas…there are a thousand stripes of Hinduism, but most Hindus do have a little of the “embarrassing cousin” syndrome about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/53 "2008-10-16T18:08:33Z")
> [@Omi\_no\_Kami](#): > > You probably aren’t interested in going into enough detail with your daughter to make this relevant, but it’s relevant to note that Hindu doctrine and practices vary really, really heavily compared to many mainstream religions. Historically, the term that eventually became “Hindu” originated as a geographical descriptor, and under the British raj eventually grew to encompass everyone who didn’t actively identify with Sikhism, Jainism, or one of the Abrahamic religions. > > It probably doesn’t matter in your case, but since there isn’t any single, authoritative set of doctrines or principals that encompass Hindu beliefs it might be worth a footnote or two. 🙂 This inspires the obligatory Simpsons reference: Don’t refer to Hindus as “miscellaneous.” ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/54 "2008-10-16T18:13:01Z")
The board ate my post, I will re-submit when the problem has passed ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/55 "2008-10-16T18:24:01Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Well, feelings will vary a lot with location, too. Utahns are probably a little more worked up about it than the rest of us are. It was, in any case, meant to be a light-hearted remark. Out here we don’t give a lot of thought to it, except when someone asks us and we want to run away. I doubt that a Swede would many feelings on the subject. Thank you for clarifying. Here in Utah, the feelings are _much_ stronger and only expressed light-heartedly by ex-mormons and non-mormons. > [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t like Hare Krishnas for the sheer reason that they proselytize. (God, I hate spelling that word.) I don’t like that particular practice in any religion. Hindus…well, there’s no rule against it, I don’t think, but there’s no rule stating to do it, either. It’s not our thing. > > People should be allowed to worship whatever religion they choose in peace, and trying to convert them is not leaving them in peace, IMO. > > Other than that, I have no real problem with Hare Krishnas…there are a thousand stripes of Hinduism, but most Hindus do have a little of the “embarrassing cousin” syndrome about it. Thank you for clarifying that as well. OTOH, their proselytizing has educated a lot of westerners and introduced many to Eastern thought and religion, and for that alone I am grateful. Thanks to ISKCon I am much more open-minded than I would otherwise be. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/56 "2008-10-16T18:30:20Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > Thank you for clarifying. Here in Utah, the feelings are _much_ stronger and only expressed light-heartedly by ex-mormons and non-mormons. Oh yeah? Huh. Didn’t know that. I’ve never lived in Utah. Is it a pretty recent thing? Because my friends who live there have always just sort of shrugged about it. I mean, everyone knows that Sandy has a lot of them, and you can spot them at the park because of the dress, but I’ve never heard anyone express anything but a wry embarrassment that people mix us up with them, and of course a real concern about the welfare of the girls. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/57 "2008-10-16T18:57:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Er… why not? IMHO, if you’re visiting a place of worship, or anywhere fairly unfamiliar for that matter, it’s generally best to err on the side of formality. > > I’m surprised that you’ve never said namaskar. I was always instructed very specifically about when to _namaskar_ (anybody older than me, and anyone performing puja, aarti, etc.) I might as well chime in myself, I am familiar with the term Namaste, and never heard the term Namaskar. Then again, I’m a rude sort of person- I don’t really bow to my elders, or anything formal like that unless they’re within my family. It does tend to create some awkward pauses at the Temple though when I used to go, but it’s pretty much done and settled as I’ve gotten older and faded away from that scene (I still occasionally go, and I’m respectful to the priests, just not the old people that mingle about). Then again, I’m pretty ignorant about formalities and behaviors of my culture, even though I may know about my religion and such. :shrug: Oh, and I don’t know Hindi, so I guess that’d be kinda partly the reason for my ignorance of phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/58 "2008-10-16T19:21:55Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Oh yeah? Huh. Didn’t know that. I’ve never lived in Utah. Is it a pretty recent thing? Because my friends who live there have always just sort of shrugged about it. I mean, everyone knows that Sandy has a lot of them, and you can spot them at the park because of the dress, but I’ve never heard anyone express anything but a wry embarrassment that people mix us up with them, and of course a real concern about the welfare of the girls. This confuses me. I’ve lived in SLC for 9 years now, in Sandy for 4 of those, and I’ve never heard of any openly-practicing polygamists in the metro area at all, or seen funny dressed people in parks - what “dress”, exactly? I will say that LDS members in Utah seem to be fairly sensitive to the FLDS (or whatever they’re calling themselves now), and their legal troubles get huge play in the news. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/59 "2008-10-16T21:03:37Z")
Well, I don’t know a lot about it myself. But there are other groups who aren’t the FLDS. A friend of mine grew up in Sandy and said there was a compound nearby, that sort of thing. I don’t know how “open” it is, but you know, you see women with long, braided hair and long skirts (often jumpers over blouses) and the boys have button-up shirts and the girls have long hair and skirts. I kind of gather that they aren’t so secretive, but I don’t really know. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679/60 "2008-10-16T21:47:48Z")
Re: Namaste/Namashkar. In Bengali, it’s always “namashkar.” The whole formal/informal things sounds a little odd to me, because (amongst Bengalis) anyway, _both_ are formal-sounding greetings. You don’t greet a family member or close friend with a “greeting word” like namaste or namashkar. One is more likely to say something along the lines of “Here you are!” or “So he’s arrived!” or just “Come in! Come in! Come in! How are you doing?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-visit-a-hindu-temple-or-anything-like-that/462679.md?page=4)