REP trip to places of worship in Bristol
Friday 23rd June
I had the pleasure of taking Year 7 on my annual visit to the Hindu temple, Bristol Cathedral and the Sikh Gurdwara. It was, as always a brilliant day, in which our students entered into all the activities with gusto. In the Hindu temple, we heard the priest talk about Hindu gods and beliefs, and observed the arti ceremony. After this, we tried some Gujarati stick dancing (a bit like Morris dancing, without bells!). In the Cathedral we explored the beautiful building looking for Art in Religion. We also had the chance to ask some trainee priests about aspects of Christianity.
After some fresh air in St. George's Park, our last stop was the Sikh Gurdwara, where, it seemed, a wedding had been organised especially for us! We listened to a talk about the Sikh Gurus and 5Ks, and then were treated to some sung hymns with tabla and harmonium accompaniment. We were able to visit where the Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book) is put to rest at night and were kindly offered rice pudding and chickpea curry.
I am grateful to my colleagues, Richard Gower, Graham Jones, Claire Settle and Mark Van de Poll for their help and support on the day. The last word goes to the students...
"The best part was the stick dance because you feel like part of their community." Lila
"I leaned what being a priest was like." Claudia
"The singing was exhilarating." Henry
"The best bit was trying different cultural food." Silas
"I wasn't expecting it to be so shiny or beautiful." Vicky
"The Guru Granth Sahib had a better bed than me!" Jamie
"Everything was mind blowing." William
"The murti were spectacular." Evie
"In the Cathedral, some of the windows were made with broken glass from the war." Pieter
"I bought a bracelet so when I am going to do something bad or dangerous, I'll see it and re-think." Mac
Wow, all that from an REP trip!
Charlotte House
Teacher of REP