Gladys C.

Canteros
BSA51

HINDUISM
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs
dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is
the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s
Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its
origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation
of many traditions and philosophies.

ORIGINS
Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in
the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. But many Hindus argue that their faith is
timeless and has always existed. Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one foun der but
is instead a fusion of various beliefs.

HINDU GODS
1. Brahma – the god responsible for the creation of the world and all living things
2. Vishnu – the god that preserves and protects the universe
3. Shiva – the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it

HINDU VEDAS
1. Rid Veda - The oldest of the four Vedas is the Rig Veda , which means ‘Knowledge of the
Hymns of Praise’. It is also regarded as the most important Veda, and has contributed
greatly to the other three sets of texts. The Rig Veda consists of 1028 hymns divided into
10 books called mandalas, and is used for recitation.
2. Sama Veda – the Sama Veda (‘Knowledge of the Melodies’) is used for chanting, and is
composed almost entirely of verses from the Rig Veda.
3. Yajur Veda – Yajur Veda means ‘Knowledge of the Sacrificial Formulas’, and contains
explanatory prose commentaries on the way religious rites and sacrifices are to be
performed. In other words, it functions as a liturgical handbook for priests.
4. Atharva Veda – The last (and youngest) of the four Vedas in the Atharva Veda , which
means ‘Knowledge of the Magic Formulas’. This Veda is named after a group of priests,
and is quite different from the three preceding groups of texts. The Atharva Veda is more
folkloristic in style, and consists of charms, spells, and magical incantations.

THE CASTE SYSTEM

The Hindu conception of the social order is that people are different, and different people will fit
well into different aspects of society. Social order or social class according to varna forms the
framework of moral duties according to personal characteristics of individuals (not necessarily
birth).

The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories:

1. Brahmins 3. Vaishyas
2. Kshatriyas 4. Shudras

The “Untouchables” are a class of citizens that are outside the caste system and considered to be
in the lowest level of the social hierarchy.
Gladys C. Canteros
BSA51

BELIEFS
 Reincarnation - the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a
living being starts a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death

 Karma - means action, work or deed; it also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and
effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that
individual (effect).

 Dharma - signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with Ṛta, the order that
makes life and universe possible, and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and
"right way of living".

HINDU DIET
Hindus do not eat beef because cows are considered a holy animal in the religion. Cows are sacred
because they are important to agriculture: they help plow the fields, they carry heavy loads, the
provide dairy products, and their poop is used as fertilizer.

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS

1. Diwali – festival of lights
2. Navaratri – a celebration of fertility and harvest
3. Holi – a spring festival
4. Krishna Janmashtami – a tribute to Krishna’s birthday
5. Raksha Bandhan – a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters
6. Maha Shrivaratri – the great festival of Shiva
7. Upanayana – thread ceremony
8. Vivaha – hindu wedding
9. Antyesti – funeral rites for the dead

MAHATMA GANDHI
He has come to be known as the Father of India and a beacon of light in the last decades of British
colonial rule, promoting non-violence, justice and harmony between people of all faiths. Born in
1869 in Porbandar on the Western coast of India and raised by Hindu parents, Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi found many opportunities in his youth to meet people of all faiths.

After 21 years in South Africa, Gandhi returned to India in 1915. He became the leader of the
Indian nationalist movement campaigning for home rule or Swaraj. Gandhi hoped to win people
over by changing their hearts and minds, and advocated non-violence in all things. He himself
remained a committed Hindu throughout his life, but was critical of all faiths and what he saw as
the hypocrisy of organized religion. Just when the Indians had attained victory, and the British had
formally left, he was shot at by a young Hindu fanatic, angry at a man for promoting peace and
tolerance for people of all faiths.