SHINTOISM

and
HINDUISM
- A COMPARATIVE STUDY

CULTURE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

NAME: BHAVANI U K
USN: 1JA18AT007
6TH SEM ‘A’ SECTION
SHINTOISM

• Shinto also termed kami-no-michi,

is a religion which originated in
Japan.

• Classified as an East Asian religion.

• Practitioners often regard it as

Japan's indigenous religion and as a
nature religion.

• Scholars sometimes call its

practitioners Shintoists, although
adherents rarely use that term
themselves.
• There is no central authority in
control of Shinto and much
diversity exists among
practitioners.
• Shinto does not have a founder, nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible.
Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the
Japanese people and traditions.
• "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and
concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans
become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of
extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is
considered Shinto's most important kami.
BELIEFS AND RITUALS

• Shinto shrines are the places of

worship, homes of kami. This concept of Makoto is
IMPURIT important to the core beliefs of
• Most shrines celebrate festivals Y Shintoism. If goodness and
sincerity are not in your heart,
(matsuri) regularly in order to show all the acts are pointless.
the kami the outside world. Sincerity is the grounding of all
ethical thought and behavior.
• Shinto priests perform Shinto
rituals and often live on the shrine PURITY
grounds. Wrestlers sprinkle salt as
purification
• Men and women can become
priests, and they are allowed to FOCUS
marry and have children. SINCERE-
ON BELIEFS ITY
• Priests are aided by younger PRESENT
women (miko) during rituals and
shrine tasks. Miko wear white
kimono, must be unmarried, and
HARMONY
are often the priests' daughters.
FESTIVAL WITH
S NATURE

Fire purifying festival A Shinto house

 A SHINTO RITUAL
The conventional order of events in many
Shinto festival rituals is as follows:
Senses 1.Purification - this takes place before the
main ceremony
Language Mind 2.Adoration - bowing to the altar
Purification: Miscanthus ring Adoration by priests 3.Opening of the sanctuary
Pleasing
Kami 4.Presentation of food offerings
Aesthetic 5.Prayers
Sounds elements
6.Music and dance
7.Offerings - these are symbolic and consist of
twigs of a sacred tree bearing of white paper
Any Shinto ritual is
conducted to please Purification: Waterfall bath Food offerings
the Kami through these
mediums

Purpose: To obtain
blessings for personal
goals, festivals and
such.

Main prayer Altar Music and Dance ritual Offerings in front of Main hall
 TYPES OF SHINTO SHRINES
Imperial Shrine
Imperial Shrines:
• Funded and administered by the government

• Include many of their most important shrines -Ise Shrines, Izumo Shrine and Atsuta Shrine

• Imperial shrines can be recognized by the imperial family's chrysanthemum crest and by the fact that they are often called "jingu.

Inari Shrines:
Inari shrine
• Dedicated to Inari, the kami of rice.

• Recognized by fox statues, as the fox is considered the messenger of Inari. There are thousands of Inari Shrines across Japan

• Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine is most famous. Hachiman shrine

Hachiman Shrines :
• Dedicated to Hachiman, the kami of war

• The most famous is Kamakura's Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, their head shrine is Usa Shrine on Kyushu. Tenjin shrine
Tenjin Shrines:
• Tenjin Shrines are dedicated to the kami of Sugawara Michizane, a Heian Period scholar and politician.

• They are popular among students preparing for entrance exams. Tenjin Shrines can be recognized by ox statues and plum trees,
Michizane's favorite trees. The first and most famous Tenjin Shrine is Dazaifu Tenmangu near Fukuoka.
Sengen shrine
Sengen Shrines :
• Sengen Shrines are dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity of Mount Fuji

Shrines dedicated to the founders of powerful clans:

• Dedicated shrines to their clans' founders.

• Example: Kanazawa's Oyama Shrine which is dedicated to Maeda Toshiie, the founder of the powerful, local Maeda clan. Toshogu
Local Shrines: Many shrines are dedicated to local kami without association to other shrines.
shrine
 Shrine
amongst
nature

Accessibility
by all people Shrine
amongst
urban cities
ELEMENTS OF A TYPICAL SHINTO SHRINE:

The following structures and objects can be typically found at a shrine:

Main and offering hall

Depending on the shrine's
architecture style, the main hall
(honden) and offering hall (haiden)
Torii are two separate buildings or
One or more torii gates mark the combined into one building. The
approach and entrance to a shrine. They main hall's innermost chamber
come in various colors and are made of contains the shrine's sacred object,
various materials. Most torii, however while visitors make their prayers and
are made of wood, and many are offerings at the offering hall
painted orange and black.

Purification trough
Found near the entrance, the
water of these fountains is
Komainu used for purification. You
Komainu are a pair of guardian dogs or are supposed to clean your
lions, often found on each side of a hands and mouth before
shrine's entrance. In the case of Inari approaching the main hall
Shrines, they are foxes rather than dogs. (more details).
 The following structures and objects can be typically found at a shrine:

Stage
Omikuji are fortune telling
Stages for paper slips. They contain
kagura dance or predictions ranging from
noh theater daikichi ("great good luck") to
performances daikyo ("great bad luck"). By
can be found at tying the piece of paper
some shrines. around a tree's branch, bad
fortune can be left behind.

Ema Shimenawa
Shrine visitors A shimenawa is a straw rope
write their wishes with white zigzag paper strips
on these wooden (shide). It marks the boundary to
plates and then something sacred and can be
leave them at the found on torii gates, around
shrine in the hope sacred trees and stones, etc.
that their wishes Similar rope is also worn by
come true. yokozuna, the highest ranked
sumo wrestlers, during ritual
ceremonies.
 Hinduism
• Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, with roots and
customs dating back more than 8000 years.

• Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s

difficult to trace its origins and history.

• Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but

a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.

• Many practitioners referred to the

religion as Sanatana Dharma,
which refers to the idea that its
origins lie beyond human history,
as revealed in the Hindu texts.
• Sanatana Dharma denotes duties
(righteousness) performed
according to one's spiritual
The four Purusharthas’ are the basis of all beliefs of identity as Ātman. Sanatana
Dharma is presently a large facet
Hinduism; and all temples are oriented towards
of the collective synthesis of
helping a human achieve the primary goal: Moksha beliefs known as Hinduism.
The planning of Hindu temple is based on the Chakras in a human body, The Vaastu purusha mandala: An analysis
which represent that the spaces of the temple are meant to enhance the of climatic conditions translated into
existence and functioning of those particular chakras. Hindu architecture, according to which all
planning happens, is another major
The organization of the spaces happens in such a way, that the Deity is consideration for square planning
placed at the position representing the head of a human; indicating the typologies of Hindu temples.
connection of the soul with the human body+ the Crown chakra, the chakra
connected to spirituality.
 RITUALS AND BELIEFS – TO BUILT FORM Beliefs to Built-form
Puja Japa
Dharma
Dhyana Surrender

Bhajan
Yoga
The four Mahamandapa
Moksha Puruṣārthas’ Artha Garbhagriha

Kama Side entrances

for priests

Hindu practices include rituals such as puja (worship) Ardhamandapa Mukhamandapa

and recitations, japa, meditation (dhyāna), family-
oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and
occasional pilgrimages. Along with the practice of
various yogas, some Hindus leave their social world Purification
and material possessions and engage in lifelong
Sannyasa (monasticism) in order to achieve Moksha.

Holy
Vehicle of deity or bath
Main belief: Everything is connected saint
Purification
=> Compassion
• ‘Garbhagriha’ meaning the womb chamber -
innermost chamber of the temple where the Dedication
image or idol of the deity is placed. to God
• The chamber is mostly square in plan and is
entered by a doorway on its eastern side-
priests.
• The visitors are not allowed inside the
garbhagriha in most of the temples, only the Most
priests perform the rituals and worship; cleanliness-
hence very small. priests
• The door of the garbhagriha is about 1.5m
height, to achieve the belief that a human
must bow and enter the chamber of the God is
deity.
greater
• ‘Pradakshina patha’ meaning the ambulatory than all
passageway for circumambulation- enclosed
or open corridor.

• The devotees walk around the deity in

clockwise direction as a worship ritual and Magnetism-
symbol of respect to the temple Deity.
location of
Garbhagriha:
energy
influence
• Vimana: Highlights the location of the Main Deity. • ‘Antarala’ meaning the vestibule or the
Highlight the
• ‘Shikhara’ meaning the tower or the spire. It is the intermediate chamber. It is a transition space Space before
presence of between Garbhagriha and the mandapa. entering+
pyramidal or tapering portion of the temple which
represents the mythological ‘Meru’ or the highest God diversion to
• ‘Ardhamandapa’ meaning the front porch or
mountain peak. the main entrance of the temple leading to the purification
• ‘Mandapa’, is the pillared hall in front of the mandapa.
garbhagriha- assembly of the devotees, for them to sit, • ‘Gopurams’ meaning the monumental and
pray, chant, meditate and watch the priests performing ornate tower at the entrance of the temple
the rituals. Space for complex, specially found in south India.
Made of
• It is also known as ‘Natamandira’ meaning temple hall devotees’ • ‘Toranas’ the typical gateway of the temple Mango tree
of dancing, where in olden days ritual of music and gathering/act mostly found in north Indian temples. leaves-
dance was performed. ivities medicinal
• ‘Pitha’ the plinth or the platform of the temple. properties
TYPES/ STYLES OF HINDU TEMPLES

• Nagara temple: stone platform with steps

leading up to it. Curved shikhara.
• Does not usually have elaborate boundary
walls or gateways.
• Earliest temples- one single Shikhara, later
temples- multiple Shikharas

• Dravidian temple is enclosed within a

compound wall.
• The front wall has an entrance gateway in its
center- gopuram.
• Main temple tower - Vimana: stepped pyramid
that rises geometrically rather than the curving
shikhara of North India.
• Shikhara- south Indian temples; Amalaka-
north Indian temples
• Sculptures of fierce dvarapalas or the door-
keepers guard the temple.
• It is common to find a large water reservoir, or The three types of Hindu temples are categorized based on the location: how the climate
a temple tank, enclosed within the complex influences the style; and ones which were built under the rule of different dynasties during
ancient times.
 TYPES OF HINDU TEMPLES
• VESARA STYLE: Shape of the
superstructure over the sanctum is usually
pyramidal in profile, and shorter than the
northern shikhara tower.

• Like the southern vimana superstructure, a

Vesara temple is strongly divided into storeys
or steps.

• Kapota roof motif that is so common in

contemporary southern vimanas is less
Temple at Halebidu
dominant.

• The North Indian shikhara -two types:

• (A) the latina, curvilinear in outline, the type

most usually found above the sanctuary

• (B) the phamsana, rectilinear in outline and

capped by a bell-shaped member, the form Temple at Belur
more usually found above the mandapa.

Examples: Hoysala temples

at Belur, Halebidu,
Somanathpura
Differences between Shintoism and Hinduism
• Based on the idea that nature is God- ‘Kami’, and worship nature
in various forms
• Believes that Kami is a sacred spirit that takes the form of concepts
important to life: wind, space, fire, water, trees, mountains.
• Believes that humans become Kami after death and are revered as
ancestral Kami.
• A typical Shinto Shrine consists of the Torii, water basins for
purification, a stage for performances and dance, the Haiden or
outer shrine, the Main Prayer hall or Honden.
• In contrast to many monotheistic religions, there are no absolutes
in Shinto.
• There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto
is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally
good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits.
• Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away
evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.
• Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they
worship a single deity, known as “Brahman,” but still recognize
other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple
paths to reaching their god.
• Has many sacred scriptures: The Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads,
sutras.
• Believes the concepts of Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, and
Samsara
• The typical temple consists of Ardha mantapa, maha mantapa,
antarala, garbha griha, pradakshina patha, trancept, jagati,
subsidiary smaller temples.
• Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining
from injuring living beings (Ahiṃsā), patience, forbearance, self-
restraint, virtue, and compassion, among others.
• Hindu rituals such as japa, dhyana, puja, bhajan are all oriented
towards achieving Moksha.