Project Topic Brainstorm

Ganesha on Wikimedia

I thought that Hindu Creation Myths would be an interesting research topic for me because I always question how things came to be. Although I am not religious, I do consider myself agnostic and allow for possible Creator(s). Last semester, I took Sociology of Religion and learned about various ways different people experience religion. Studying Hindu creation stories would give me a better look into why people believe what they do and how they practice. I found a little animated video introduction into Hindu Creationism, which you can access here: link. I learned that Hindus believe in the possibility of countless universes, which I have wondered about myself.

I chose to look into Hindu funeral rituals, because I really only know about American customs in regards to death. Even then, I have been fortunate to only deal with a few funerals myself. In my research, I learned that at a funeral, it is preferred that attendees wear white, which is different than American custom. It could be highly interesting to compare and contrast practices between Hindu funerals and the typical funeral in the U.S. I also learned that ten days after a funeral, a ceremony is held in the deceased’s home to aid their ascent into heaven, and that it is appropriate to bring fruit. The website I found was about traditional Hindu rituals today. Perhaps Hindu mythology will parallel today’s traditions, or I might learn about past practices as well. You can access the website here: link.

Ganesha the Elephant-headed god is an image I have seen and associated with Hinduism, but have never studied or known the importance of. I am not aware of any other religions that worship elephants and would like to know the history of this god. I would also like to research the reason that the god has an elephant head instead of a human one or one of another animal. In my research, I discovered that Ganesha is the Remover of Obstacles. He can help or hinder those depending on the nature of their individual quests. I can see this god playing an important role in various tales throughout Hindu mythology. Ganesha originates from Sri Lanka and Nepal. You can access an overview of Ganesha here: link. This may be the topic I go with for my project.

I chose to research Hindu reincarnation because I always thought that reincarnation was an alluring concept. In a way, we are all turned into other things when we die, so I believe in reincarnation from that perspective. Also, one of my favorite films is Cloud Atlas, which deals with a number of people whose souls travel across time, although they do not know it. In my research, the Vedanta Society of Western Washington claims that reincarnation may be as old at the Hindu religion, and that reincarnation is supported by scripture, saints, and those who claim to remember their previous births or lives. You can access their website here: link.