Mandir
A Mandir is the Hindu place of worship. Hindu's pray by reading Scriptures from the Vedas.
The below audio is from Shree Krishna Mandir, West Bromwich.
Bhajans
Bhajans are very similar to hymns, they are devotional songs that Hindu's sing. Bhajans often tell stories from Hindu history, about Good overcoming evil and praise Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Below is an example of two Bhajans sung at Shree Krishna Mandir:
Aarti
Aarti is also known as the Ceremony of Light. During the Aarti ceremony, worshippers hold a diva (oil lamp) in front of the deities and sing an Aarti Bhajan.
Below is the Aarti at Shree Krishna Mandir:
Jai
Jai means victory or hail!
Hindu 's greet one another by Jai followed by the name of a God or Goddess, such as Jai Ambe Gauri, meaning hail Goddess Ambe. Hindu's often end religious ceremonies by saying Jai too.
Below is the worshippers at Shree Krishna Mandir chanting Jai.
Katha
Katha is the name given to religious storytelling. A priest or somebody with knowledge on a particular religious text, shares the story with people interested. This can happen in a house or a Mandir.
I attended a Katha at Shree Krishna Mandir below is a sample of the audio from the Katha:
Shree Krishna Mandir has a very energetic atmosphere. The Katha I attended was in Gujarati however I do not understand Gujarati so I could not understand what the priest was saying. Nonetheless the worshippers at the Mandir made me feel very welcome and involved in the ceremonies taking place. I felt like I was part of the Hindu community, they did their best at explaining the ceremonies and at making me feel valued there. At the end of the Katha and Aarti, the had a Langar (a free meal is served to the worshippers) and they made me sit with them and eat, like a family member. In addition, I was given permission to record audio, footage and take photographs. For ethical reasons I have decided not to publish any videos online as they contain faces of the worshippers.
I have been to Mandir's before and whenever I go to a Mandir, I always find the atmosphere to be very energising and vibrant, I can say that Shree Krishna Mandir is no different.