Year 4 Trip – Hindu Temple

Year 4 had a wonderful and memorable visit to the Bristol Hindu Temple, the only Hindu temple in the South West of England. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel extremely welcome. The priest was kind, friendly and happy to help us learn more about Hinduism, making the visit a very special experience for all of us.

The visit linked perfectly with our recent learning in RE, where we studied Hinduism last term. Seeing a real temple helped to bring our classroom learning to life. We recognised many things we had already learned about, such as the shrine, the murtis (statues of the gods) and the importance of prayer and worship in daily life. It also supported our learning about British values, particularly tolerance and respect for people of different faiths and beliefs. We learned how important it is to understand and respect religions that may be different from our own.

The priest spent time talking with us and answering lots of thoughtful questions. We asked how many gods Hindus worship, when the temple was built, what his favourite service is to deliver, and how many people visit the temple. The priest was very patient and gave clear, interesting answers that helped us understand Hindu beliefs even more deeply.

At the end we gave our offerings as a sign of respect and we were also given the chance to take an offering if we wanted to. We left the temple feeling inspired, grateful and proud of how respectfully Year 4 behaved. It was a fantastic learning experience that we will remember for a long time.