WORSHIP is an act of religious devotion, often performed before a diety, but generally directed towards a “Higher Power”. It may be practised privately or in a congregation lead by a spiritual leader in a building – be it a church, a mosque, a synagogue, a temple or a gurdwara, formally consecrated for religious use.

CLASSIC HINDU TEMPLE IN SOUTH INDIA WITH SACRED POND AND SOARING TOWERS

 

HINDUS WORSHIP A MULTITUDE OF DEITIES. ACTS OF PUJA OFFERINGS ARE MADE TO THE OBJECT OF DEVOTION BOTH IN THE HOME AND IN THE TEMPLE, ESPECIALLY DURING COMMUNAL FESTIVALS.  HERE A PRIEST OFFERS ARTI BEFORE LORD KRISHNA AND HIS CONSORT, THE POPULAR GODDESS RADHA.

 

THE ART-NOUVEAU STYLE SYNAGOGUE IN SUBOTICA, SERBIA WAS BUILT IN 1902

 

DURING THE TIME OF THE TEMPLE IN JUDAISM, THE ASSOCIATED RITES WERE CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT ACT OF VENERATION, BUT THE MOST COMMON FORM OF WORSHIP REMAINS THAT OF PRAYER. HERE A MAN COMMUNES WITH GOD AT THE WESTERN WALL, ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM.

 

THE YELE PAGODA IN MYANMAR, BUILT IN 3 BCE, IS SAID TO CONTAIN RELICS OF THE BUDDHA

 

BUDDHISTS OF THE THERAVADA SCHOOL FOLLOWED BY 94% OF THE POPULATION IN THAILAND MAKE OFFERINGS OF FLOWERS AND INCENSE AT A POPULAR SHRINE IN BANGKOK.

THE HUGE HASSAN II MOSQUE IN CASABLANCA HOLDS 25,000 WORSHIPPERS

 

IN ISLAM, WORSHIP REFERS TO RITUALISTIC DEVOTION AS WELL AS ACTIONS OUTLINED IN THE HOLY QUR’AN. PRAYER OR SALAAT SHOULD BE PRACTISED FIVE TIMES DAILY. iT MAY BE PERFORMED IN PRIVATE OR IN COMMUNAL WORSHIP, LEAD BY THE IMAM OF THE MOSQUE.

 

THE GURDWARA IS THE PLACE OF DEVOTIONALS IN SIKHISM

 

SIKH WORSHIP OF GOD, THE CREATOR, INVOLVE COMMUNAL RITUALS IN THE GURDWARA. HERE PEOPLE PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB, THE SACRED TEXTS VENERATED AS A “LIVING GURU”- WAHEGURU- THE WONDERFUL GURU.

 

AZANIA FRONT LUTHERAN CHURCH IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, CONSECRATED 1963

 

CELEBRATING THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS A COMMON FORM OF COMMUNAL WORSHIP IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH. PRIVATE PRAYERS ARE ALSO SAID TO PROMOTE SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND COMMUNION WITH GOD. VENERATION OF THE VIRGIN IS WIDESPREAD AMONG CATHOLIC DENOMINATIONS.