Dorman Museum

April19, 2014:  Members of the Hindu communities in Middlesbrough and Durham have worked with museum curators to create a new exhibition about their faith.

The exhibition, Embracing the Divine: exploring Hindu Faith, Devotion, and Celebration, at Middlesbrough’s Dorman Museum, runs until July 4.

The exhibition is designed to give an introduction to Hinduism as both a religion and a way of life.

The experiences and opinions of local Hindus are reflected throughout the exhibition which explores themes such as stories, celebration, family, community and personal worship.

The exhibition contains objects loaned from Durham University’s Oriental Museum including historic artefacts, personal shrines from India, and photographs of Hindu worship taken by the internationally renowned anthropologist, Stephen P Huyler.

These are displayed alongside images of local Hindus’ own household shrines and a film showing Holi Festival celebrations at the Middlesbrough Hindu Cultural Society and Temple.

A Banyan tree installation created by the local artist, Bub Bacon, is a prominent feature in the gallery – this tree represents the act of worshipping deities that reside in trees and other sacred natural features, which is a common practice in India.

The Dorman Museum is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Tuesday to Sunday.

Entry to the museum and the temporary exhibition is free for all ages.