R.E.
KS 2
Title of Unit: Hindu Belief in God
Key Theme:
Beliefs and questions
Key Concept: Avatar
Strands/ Fields of Enquiry
AT1: Beliefs, teachings and sources
Practices and ways of life
Forms of expression
AT2: Questions of meaning, purpose and truth
Values and commitments
AT1 :
AT2 :
Learning Outcomes:
 Know the symbolism behind some key Hindu Gods.
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Explain that Hindus believe in one God— Brahman.
Explain why Hindus have many gods and goddesses.
Name some of the key gods and goddesses studied.
Give examples of their role.
Discuss the symbolism of the god/goddess studied.
Be able to explain the words ‘incarnation and avatar.’
Expectations—Levels of Attainment—In line with locally Agreed Syllabus
Nearly all can:- (LEVEL WORKING TOWARDS)
Many can:- (LEVEL 1)
Some children have progressed further and can:- (LEVEL 2)
Skills
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Reflection
Enquiry/ Investigation
Empathy
Communication/Expression
Key Attitudes and Values
o Respect
o Open mindedness
o Sensitivity
o Appreciation, awe and wonder
Opportunities for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
Reflect upon the different jobs that God might need to do.
Reflect upon the idea of explaining the power and wisdom of God through pictures.
Links with Hindu countries and culture.
Reflect on the ideas of good overcoming evil.
Consider the feminine form of God
Reflect on the use of music and dance in Hinduism.
Think about the colours you could use to represent God.
Links with Hindu countries and culture.
Every Child Matters
Being healthy
Enjoy and achieve
Making a positive contribution
Staying safe
Economic wellbeing
Cross Curricular Links
English
Art
Geography
PSHE
Early Learning Goals / Prior Learning
The story of Ganesha
Social Cohesion
Find out about the Hindu community
in your area
Visit the local Temple
Key Vocabulary
Hinduism
Avatar
Brahman
Incarnation
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Krishna
Rama
Sita
Ganesha
Hanuman
Kali
Parvati
Key Questions for Enquiry;
Who is Brahman?
What is an Avatar?
Teaching Activities:
The lady in the picture above is a teacher. In pairs make a list of the other jobs she might do in the course of a
week.
Draw an image of either your mother, father or teacher doing all of their different jobs. You can use as many
hands, arms, legs, feet or heads as you like.
Now look at the picture below. It shows the Hindu God Brahman. As you can see Brahman has many heads.
Hindus believe in one God (Brahman). God is everywhere and in everything. He created the world and
everything in it. But because they think God can do lots of jobs they have many different Gods each showing an
aspect of the one God Brahman.
Read the story below. It is a famous Hindu story to help understand the Hindu idea of God.
There were once some blind men who wanted to know what an elephant was. They had only heard talk of this
mysterious beast. Some people brought one for them to touch. The first man put his hand out and felt the elephant’s
leg. He said the elephant is like a tree. The second one touched an ear. He said he thought it was like a fan.”I think
it is like a wall” said the man stroking the elephant’s side. Another took hold of a tail and said it was like a rope.
No, ‘I think it is a spear’ said the man who touched its tusk. ‘It’s a snake’ said the man who touched its trunk.
All of the men were right but only in part. Each one believed that he had the answer but none of the friends had
grasped the whole truth.
Because God has many roles and is very complex, Hindus have thousands of gods and goddesses or ‘aspects ‘ of
the one true God. God possesses all qualities, good and bad and qualities of life and death. God is present in
everything and everywhere. God is masculine and feminine. Hindus learn about God through stories of the gods
and goddesses. Many gods and goddesses have extra heads, hands and legs as a way of expressing the power of
God. Brahma has 4 heads to show his mind is on all things.
Can you think of some of the jobs that God might do? In pairs make a list. Discuss your lists in the class.
Three of the Hindu Gods are the principal gods and they are linked to the creation, preservation and destruction
aspects of God. They are:
Brahma, the creator
Vishnu, the sustainer
Shiva, the destroyer
They are known as the ‘Trinity’ or ‘Trimurti’ and they represent the cycle of creation, destruction and re-creation.
Hindus believe that God took on different forms depending on the work that needed doing. From time to time God
sends an ‘avatar’ to help sort things out on earth. The word ‘avatar’ means ‘down-coming’ or ‘incarnation’. Some
of these ‘avatars’ are Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Buddha. Avatars are incarnations of God.
Vishnu is the preserver of the universe but he comes to earth as many avatars. He can take on many forms in order
to defeat the forces of evil. He came down first as Matsya, the fish, then Kurma, the tortoise and in human form as
Rama and Krishna, the 7th and 8th avatars
There are hundreds of well known stories about the different Gods. One of the most famous is the Ramayana.
Hindu children learn about God through stories of the gods and goddesses.
Prince Rama is regarded as a virtuous and obedient son. Hindus see Rama as the perfect man. Rama and his wife
Sita are regarded as the perfect married couple.
The Ramayana tells the story of Rama and Sita.
Read the story below:
This is a story about Prince Rama, the great warrior, who was married to the beautiful Sita. Rama and Sita were
really gods in human form.
Prince Rama meant to take over the throne from his father the king, but his wicked stepmother had tricked his
father into sending him away into the forest. With him went his wife, Sita. Rama had begged Sita to stay safely in
the palace while he stayed in the forest, but she declared it was a thousand times better to be in the forest with
Rama than in the richest palace without him.
So Rama and Sita went to live in the forest together. They lived a simple, peaceful life in a small cottage.
But, before long, their peace was disturbed. One day, Sita was spotted by the demon king, Ravana. Of all the
demons that lived in the forest, Ravana was the most terrible. He had twenty arms and ten heads, with eyes as
red as coal fires and a mouthful of yellow fangs. When Ravana saw the beautiful Sita, he immediately came up
with a plan to kidnap her and make her his wife.
One day, when Rama and Sita were walking in the forest, they saw the most beautiful deer you can imagine. Its
golden hide was as bright as the sun, its silver antlers as bright as the moon, its hooves shone as black as night,
and its eyes were as blue as sapphires.
So delighted was Sita when she saw the deer that she begged Rama to catch it for her. Rama was worried that
this was some demon trick to try and split them up, but Sita pleaded with Rama, until he agreed to try and catch
the deer for her.
As soon as Sita was alone, the demon Ravana swooped down and swept Sita up into his chariot pulled by winged
monsters. Despite her terror Sita thought quickly and scattered her jewelry piece by piece - first her golden
anklets, then her earrings, then her glittering scarf - as a trail for Rama to follow. Far below a white monkey
looked up and, seeing the glittering jewelry, thought the stars were falling.
In the midst of the forest, Rama tracked down the beautiful deer. But when he caught hold of it, the deer
changed into a terrible demon that broke away from Rama’s grasp and flew into the sky. Realising that he had
been tricked, Prince Rama ran back to the cottage as fast as he could, his heart filled with dread. Finding Sita
gone, he searched frantically until he came upon the trail of jewelry that Sita had left.
Rama followed this golden trail until he met Hanuman, the white monkey, who had seen Sita's jewelry fall from
the sky. Hanuman was a very special monkey because he was the monkey king. Hanuman took Rama to the
monkey city that lay under the hills in a giant cave. All the monkeys of the city were called to the marble square
in the centre of the city, and messages were sent out to monkeys all over the world. They came in their millions
from the woods and caves, and with them came their friends the bears. Twenty-three million animals filled the
city and covered the hills like a great shaggy sea. After they had heard what had happened, they spread out to
search the world for Sita.
It was the monkey, Hanuman, who came to the island where Sita was being held prisoner. The monkeys and
bears with him stared in despair at the giant crashing waves that surrounded the island, but Hanuman, the son of
the wind god, climbed to the highest hill, took a mighty breath and leapt into the clouds, and over the crashing
waves. He landed on the island and quickly found Sita in a grove of trees near the palace. There she sat refusing
to marry the evil Ravana.
Sita was overjoyed when she found out who Hanuman was and she gave him a pearl from her hair to take to
Rama. Then Hanuman bounded away to fetch Rama and Lakshmana, and the great army of monkeys and bears.
But still the giant ocean waves kept Rama and his army away from the island. And so the army began to build a
bridge of rocks and grass and sand.
The squirrels came running out of the woods to help, every animal - large and small - contributed to the building,
and soon the bridge stretched a hundred miles to the island, and the animals poured across their bridge.
Long and terrible was the battle, as the animals fought the evil demons. Many great deeds were done, until at
last Rama faced the demon Ravana on the battlefield. With his arrows Rama struck again and again at the heads
of Ravana but each time he chopped one off, a new one grew.
Then Rama took up his special bow and arrow that had been made by the sky god. He chanted a special prayer
and shot. The gods of wind and fire flew guided the arrow and it pierced Ravana's chest in a blinding flash.
Ravana fell dead in an instant.
All the world rejoiced. The reign of the demons was over and Rama and Sita returned to their own country to
rule. In celebration, the gods showered flowers from the sky, and the people lined the streets with flags and
garlands. In every home, an oil lamp was put in the window to welcome back the Rama and Sita and their great
army. The royal ruled happily for many years until it was time for them to leave their life on earth and return to
heaven.
Watch the video clip below which tells how the evil Ravana stole Sita from Rama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-ECKWA7Vo
For Hindus, this story shows how good will always triumph over evil
Some of you may have heard this story before as it is a favourite story for Diwali because it shows Hindus how
good triumphs over evil.
Dussehra
The festival of Dussehra takes place between September and October and it remembers Rama’s victory over the
giant Ravana.
The 'Ramlila', an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth
day larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother - Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna - are stuffed with hay
and firecrackers. Someone dressed as Rama shoots a flaming arrow at the effigy (see below) to set it on fire.
Find out about what aspects of God are portrayed in some other Hindu Gods. Some of the most common ones are:
Krishna / Shiva / Hanuman / Kali / Ganesha / Parvati (the mother of Ganesha)
In pairs – Imagine that you are Brahman’s assistants. Think about the problems in the world today. Write a job
description for an Avatar. Pin them on the wall and vote for two or three that you think are good.
Assessment Opportunity
Write a job application for one of the posts available. Explain from your knowledge of Hinduism why you feel that
you are right for the job
Resources
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism
http://www.hinduism.fsnet.co.uk/