Workshop
Hinduism (Sanatan Dharm) Workshops
Hinduism (Sanatan Dharm) introduced through beliefs, traditions, symbols, celebrations and everyday practices, with room for the many ways these are lived by different communities.
In the session
Pupils meet Hinduism as a living tradition rather than a single fixed set of rules. Sessions are clear that practices, festivals and family customs vary between communities and regions.
Storytelling does much of the work: festival stories, stories connected with deities, and the objects and images pupils may already have noticed in their community.
Creative activity follows the discussion, so pupils have something they have made or designed to take back into the classroom.
Festivals and celebrations
Festivals give pupils an accessible entry point, and each one can be explored in enough depth to support a current RE topic rather than as a quick overview.
- Diwali through stories, symbols, crafts and discussion
- Holi, its stories and its traditions
- Raksha Bandhan and what the bond represents
- How celebrations differ between families and regions
Stories, symbols and deities
Deities are introduced at an age-appropriate level through their stories, with attention to what those stories are understood to teach.
Interactive Hindu storytelling invites pupils to join in — retelling, questioning and connecting a story to symbols and images they have seen.
Everyday practice
Alongside festivals, sessions look at everyday practice: home shrines, prayer, food, dress and family life, described as they are lived rather than as a single standard model.
Sikh and Hindu traditions are kept clearly distinct. If your pupils are studying both, we can plan sessions that make the differences explicit.
“It was wonderful to see our learning brought to life in such a child friendly, meaningful and thoughtful way.”
Useful to know
- Can workshops fit our current RE topic?
- Yes. Sessions are planned with headteachers, RE leads and teaching staff around the topics your pupils are studying.
- Can activities be adapted for different ages and abilities?
- Workshops can be adapted to pupils' ages, abilities and curriculum needs, including SEN groups. Tell us about your group when you enquire and we can talk through what will work.
- Do you offer assemblies?
- Assemblies and introductory sessions last 40 minutes or longer and can focus on a chosen religious or cultural topic, with displays, artefacts and time for questions.
- Can we combine activities?
- Contact us to discuss a mix of activities for your group and the shape of the day you have in mind.
- Where do you work?
- Gvants is based in Hull & East Riding. Contact us to discuss visits elsewhere.
Explore next
- Henna art & cultural traditions — pattern and design work that pairs well with festival topics.
- Traditional Indian & South Asian clothing — textiles, celebration dress and regional variation.
- Sikhi (Sikhism) workshops — a separate tradition, explored on its own terms.
Discuss a workshop for your group
Tell us about your pupils or your team, the topics you would like to explore and the shape of the day you have in mind.
Call 07900 151896