Sunday School for Hindus

Sunday School for Hindus May 11, 2016

Sunday school is religious education for kids. The vast majority of churches have these programs during Sunday morning services so that’s where the name comes from. As Brad and I await the birth of our son, we are thinking about religious education for his future. There are various Hindu programs in America to choose from.

Chinmaya Mission Balvihar 

Using fun activities to teach Hindu values. Chinmaya Mission’s founder says children are not empty vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit. Chinmaya is known as a welcoming place for non-Indian Hindus, though they are still the minority.

SSE (Sai Spiritual Education)

At our bhajan group the kids spend part of the service in SSE classes. A couple times a year they give presentations and do skits to show what they are learning, and it seems like a valuable program. While there are a few other non-Indian Hindus who attend, the others are all older and there are no kids who are not of Indian ethnicity at the moment.

Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple Aakaar 

This happens to be the large temple near us but many temples have activities and programs for kids. Ours seems to be focused on learning shlokas and puranas as well as community service.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Balagokulams (HSS)

Using games and lessons to instill knowledge of Hindu culture and history.

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1447760912502-6aa102d373c2 Photo by Istiaque Emon
https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1447760912502-6aa102d373c2 Photo by Istiaque Emon

The next step for us is to find out if there are costs associated with this programs and also if there are waiting lists to get on!

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There are also summer camp options for Hindu kids…

Hindu Heritage Summer Camp 

An opportunity for Hindu kids growing up in the west to learn about and explore their great heritage and spiritual traditions. Affiliated with HSS.

Hindu Student Council 

This one seems to be for college and graduate school students. Their website emphasizes diversity and specifically says that people of any national origin are welcome.

Chinmaya

They also have camps

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This article raises some points of why “sunday school” for Hindus may not work and things to watch out for: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/26/parents-teach-hinduism-own-hands_n_1547275.html


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