The majority of people in India practice Hinduism. Hinduism and Buddhism mingle together and share some festivals and the worship of Buddha. The Hindu people worship some 3.2million gods, all of which have their own purpose. It seems there is a god covering everything from luck and fortune to crops and harvest. Hindus celebrate their beliefs in a number of colorful festivals, daily worship at various temples, making offerings to the gods and sometimes animal sacrifice. Hindus believe that all people will go through a series of rebirths and reincarnations. The level at which a person will be reborn depends upon how they lived in their pervious life, i.e. if they were good or bad people.
Hinduism is one of the oldest practiced religions, with firm roots extending back 1000 years BCE. It is based on a number of holy books, most important of these is The Four Vedas, or books of “Divine Knowledge” which create foundations of Hindu philosophy.
The religion is broken up into a system of Castes. The extent and way in which a person practices Hinduism depends upon which caste a person belongs.
Dharma, Artha and Karma are the three aims in the life of Hindu.
i) For filling ones duty to family and caste and gaining religious merit through having a wholesome life.
(ii) The lawful making of wealth.
(iii) Desire and satisfaction. A Hindu links these goals with the four stages they progress through in a full life.
(i)Child and student-this time is devoted to learning about life and education and correct social behavior from their parents and guru.
(ii) the house holder-at this time a person proves themselves by being able to manage a household and raise children, most importantly to bare a son.
(iii) meditation and solitude-once proven as a householder, a person is free to take up a life of celibacy and meditation.
(iv) finally in the latter stages of life a person renounces all possessions and ties in hope to achieve Moksha.
The main concern for most Hindus is to reduce bad karma and to hopefully gain points to be born with a higher status in their next life. This is achieved by worship and honest and charitable living within the restrictions imposed by a person’s caste. Most Hindus have a shrine in their homes dedicated to a chosen a Deity to which they perform a puja to everyday. Puja is an act of prayer and offerings to a god.
The main gods in Hindu are:
Vishnu- the preserver, restorer and protector. His job is to keep the world in order. Vishnu is a blue skinned, four armed deity normally found resting on a serpent or floating in the ocean. His vehicle is the half man half eagle Garuda.
Krishna- has many guises but normally he appears as a playful cow herder who seduces and dances with cow girls. Krishna possess the three routes to salvation, selflessness of action, knowledge and devotion to god.
Shiva- is revered as the source of the universe and as the destroyer, also know as the divine lord, the lord of dance, the source of all knowledge and the great god. In appearance he has 4-5 faces and holds a trident, is draped with a serpent and he has a third eye on his fore head. His animal vehicle is Nandi the bull.
Ganesh- the god of learning, success, prosperity and peace. He is the smiling elephant headed god.
Lakshmi- Is the embodiment of loveliness, grace and charm. She is the goddess of prosperity and wealth.
Durga- the great goddess with ten arms. She holds the head of a demon, a spear and other weapons. She is known as the demon slayer.
In India, partially in the northern parts, some 100,000 Tibetan people live. Tibetans practice Buddhism, the worship of Buddha. The Buddhist religion was founded in northern India around about 500 BCE, by Siddhartha Gautama who was known as Gautama Buddha. Buddhism prohibits any form of killing. There are two main schools of Buddhism which are Hinayana and Mahayana. Most Buddhists, don’t consider Buddhism as a religion and they don’t consider Buddha to be a god. Where Hindus worship many gods, Buddhist chiefly worship Buddha, though some Buddhist also worship Shiva and other Hindu gods. Before the 5th century by, Buddhism dominated in India.
Other religions in India are Islam- 12 % of the population is Muslims. Unlike Hindus, they believe in only one god-Allah. Islam is submission to god through strict rules and daily worship.
Jainism -1% of the population, commonly merchants and traders. Jains worship nature and non violence.
Sikhism-Keeping gods name in mind, earning an honest living and giving to charity are the main points of this religion. Sikhists have no priests and no set time for worship. It’s a young religion popular in Punjab and with Indians living over seas.
Christianity-Some 2 million Indians follow this religion introduced with the arrival of Europeans to India.
