SVS Balaji Temple Vidyapitham 2014 Ugadi Essay Contest Questions Date: March 23rd, 2014 Time: between

10:00am and 2:00pm Winners will receive awards on April 5th 2014

About the Contest:

Participants must write their essays on the Balaji Temple site on March 23rd to be considered for an award. All essays may be preplanned, but they must be handwritten on the premises. Attached are the 2014 Ugadi Essay Contest questions. You are required to choose only ONE topic.

Directions: The following has 2-3 essay questions that you may answer. In a well worded, coherent essay, answer ONE of the following questions. Your essay will be scored holistically. The score will reflect a judgment of the essays quality as a whole. High scoring essays will use multiple piece of well analyzed evidence. Remember that students had only 100 minutes to read and write the essay, therefore, is not a finished product and will not be judged by standards appropriate for an at home project. The occasional lapse in grammar and command may be excused as a mistake, but errors that detract from the meaning of the essay as a whole must be scored lower than those without these lapses. Students must be rewarded for what they do well.

7-10 ______________________________________________________________________________
Question 1 Many religions only worship one God/Goddess. However, in Hinduism, we worship many Gods and Goddesses. Read the above statement. Then, in a well written essay, argue what is referred to as a God? In your essay, you may discuss your favorite God and why this God/Goddess is special to you. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2 Some people come to the temple to pray, while others come for social gatherings and get-togethers. Discuss your relationship to the Temple. In your essay, discuss whether or not you like coming to the temple. _____________________________________________________________________________________

10-14 ______________________________________________________________________________
Question 1 According to some town planners and city councils, religious institutions should not have a prominent role in the community in which it resides. Carefully read the above statement. Then, in a well worded essay, defend, challenge, or qualify whether the Balaji Temple should have an active and prominent role in the community it resides in. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2 In India, students are not required to attend school on Hindu holidays such as Diwali. In the United States, students get days off for various religious holidays, such as Good Friday. Carefully read and understand the above statements. Then, in a well worded essay, argue whether public school systems should be closed for Hindu religious holidays, such as Diwali. _____________________________________________________________________________________

15+ ______________________________________________________________________________
Question 1 According to some psychologists, people are likely to be especially proud with a single part of their religion. They believe that it is something that sets them apart from others. Read the above statements carefully. Then, in a well written essay, argue what aspect of Hinduism you are most proud of. Additionally, argue whether there is any part of the religion which you think should be reformed. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2 Some people believe that the Temple, and all other religious institutions, are just places to pray. However, religions have an essence1 that is often unnoticed by the common devotee. In a well written essay, argue what the essence of Hinduism is and what the various ways of realizing this essence during life are. Also argue whether the Temple aids in realizing this essence or whether it is just a place to pray.
1

the attribute or set of attributes that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is