Sikhism, jainism and buddhism, and many individuals have contributed their ideas and teachings to hinduism over thousands of years. Hindus acknowledge one central creator god, but they worship many gods, who may assume various physical forms, called avatars, on earth. For example, walking around with a white cap on your head has no meaning on its. About 98 percent of the worlds hindus live in india.
The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. The quran is the holy book of the religion and is believed to be the verbatim word of allah god. It is an inclusive religious group, allowing for a lot of diversity. In the 20th century, hinduism began to gain popularity in the west. Nepal is now a secular state and supports freedom of religion. The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. The celebration at the beginning of the year, in honour of shiva, is another important occasion. Read cnns hinduism fast facts and learn more about hinduism, the thirdlargest religion after christianity and islam. Around 500 bce, several new belief systems sprouted from hinduism, most significantly buddhism and jainism. Hinduism is a very old religion from india that is still practiced today. He believed that everyone had the same potential for enlightenment. Read cnns hinduism fast facts and learn more about hinduism, the third largest religion after christianity and islam.
The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. It is perhaps the best book for someone who has no prior knowledge of the religion, a stable stepping stone for the student of religious studies, and an eyeopener for the practicing hindu. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. The earliest documents on hinduism date back to 5,500 bce. Reaching the stage of king rama is following all traditions of hinduism religion ceremoniously. Weve created a list of notable buddhism facts for kids and parents alike. Hinduism is the only religion that never invaded any country or other religion to convert them into hindus. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism sacred text of hinduism some important books and writings on hinduism hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Many people who consider themselves jewish, but dont regularly practice any jewish customs, will fast, refrain from working and even go.
Nov 06, 2008 here are some fast facts about hinduism. It has influenced and been affected by other world. For more information on the hinduism religion, please visit the links below. The holy book of jains the kalpa sutra is the holy book of the of jainism religion. At that time, the dominant religion of the country, hinduism, was in conflict with one of the newest religions from the west, islam. It infects and kills other harmful bacteria invading the river. The buddha was the first to ordain women and untouchables in the history of religion.
The fact is, hinduism is a complex religion even to those who are born hindus. Summary of hinduism beliefs meaning of name hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river. It is believed that hinduism dates back to 500010,000 bc. Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma, eternal religion or eternal truth. It is believed that hinduism originated in northern india, and in india today, more than 80% of the population are followers. Read cnn s hinduism fast facts and learn more about hinduism, the thirdlargest religion after christianity and islam. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. These billion verses are summarized into 700 verses by lord krishna in his bhagavad gita, as confirmed by adi shankr.
The most commonlyobserved fast, ekadashi, is respected approximately twice a month, on the eleventh day of each ascending and descending moon. Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion and still growing. And did you know hindus dont believe in millions of gods. Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world. Mar 17, 2015 sikhism emerged in 16thcentury india in an environment heavily permeated with conflicts between the hindu and muslim religions. It has been described that number of verses that exist in all of the various types of hindu scriptures, as below, total 1 billion. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Reincarnation recurs until all karmas are resolved. Hinduism is often thought of not as a single religion, but as a family of religions. If there is a book describing the several ways by which one can converse with god, then theres another book relating science with religion holy science and explaining the secrets of living a healthy, happy and peaceful life.
Hinduism is the most dominant religion in nepal with 81. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. However, it is not a religion of the same kind as the other two main religions. Feller learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. Hinduism is the oldest organized religion in the world, tracing its start back to 3500 b. Hinduism is the worlds 3rd largest religion with more than 900,000,000 followers note hinduism originated in india. Short, informative chapters contrast the cults theologies with the truth found in gods word. Hinduism world religions digital learning commons at. It is perhaps the best book for someone who has no prior knowledge of the religion, a stable stepping stone for the student of religious studies, and an.
The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Hindu religious life might take the form of devotion to god or gods, the duties of family life. Beliefs and practices is designed mainly for children of all ages of reading abilities for all nationalities and religious beliefs. They are written in an old indian language called sanskrit. Bhagavad gita is considered by most as the holy book of hindus. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism.
But why is it that people dont really have a good answer when asked, what is hinduism. Swami sriyukteswar giri guru of paramahansa yogananda writes in his book that the current day age is actually dwaparayuga in his book holy science. I hope that from this short introduction to the holy books of hinduism it is apparent that hindus consider a great variety of literature important, and that this literature is as diverse and complex as it is beautiful. Of all the basic books on hinduism, this rather thin volume of 160 pages is the most balanced introduction to the religion. They are humans who achieve enlightenment via asceticism. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community. Hinduism is a very complex religion and it is the only religion that gives complete freedom to its followers to pray god in any form. Hinduism is the only religion that never invaded any country or. If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. Majority of the religious structures are related to hinduism or buddhism.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Buddhism does not have a bible, but many holy books. Its different worldview and its tolerance for diversity in belief made it an attractive alternative to traditional western religion. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. Sikhism is one of the youngest world religions in the eastern world. Hindu scriptures and holy books hinduism facts facts. Hinduism is the largest and oldest religion on earth almost 5,000 years old. People following hinduism are found in more than 150 countries around the world. It is the oldest major religion with a tradition reaching back millennia and having many notable peaks and periods of glory. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus.
The holy river ganga has its bacteria called bacteriophage. Many scholars define hinduism, not as a religion but as a fusion of various indian cultures and traditions. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism.
Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the. More than a billion people are followers of indias eternal faith. The language of the vedas is called vedic sanskrit. Five major world religions and their important holidays. The concept of brahman, the impersonal supreme universal being.
For many hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs. Members of vaishnavism are called vaishnavites or vaishnavas. History of hinduism can be traced back to 500010,000 b. Later types of hinduism that are very different from the types of hinduism that follow the vedas respect them. Jun 30, 2014 to close up this series of articles about hinduism, well turn our focus to the second most important component of religion for hinduism hindu practices and behaviors. With that in mind, here are twenty interesting facts about hinduism. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures.
It is read in the eight day long festival called paryushan. Hinduism has close links with other religions, such as. Although hindus believe in one god, brahman, the hindu faith has different gods that represent brahmans different forms. Feb 18, 2019 hinduism is the oldest organized religion in the world, tracing its start back to 3500 b. It is indias major religion, but unlike many other religions in the world, hinduism has no founder. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world with more than 1 billion followers. Religion is a way of life in india, where hinduism is practiced by over eighty percent of the population. The aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. Four vedas, upanishads, bhagavadgita, 18 puranas, ramayana, and mahabharata are the sacred books of hindus. Religious behaviors are actions that have no intrinsic meaning, but rather ascribed meaning.
Learning about buddhism can be fun and interesting. Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce. Thats the reason river ganga water doesnt go bad if being kept for a long time. They have words called mantras which are chanted at the religious ceremonies although they were finally written down in. This sets it apart from other religions and makes it really hard to set down exactly what hinduism actually is. The vedas have stories about the hindu gods, instructions for rituals, hymns, poetry, and prayers.
Fast facts on the masonic lodge john ankerberg, john weldon. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. Hinduism facts facts about hinduism religionhinduism facts. This book covers a complex religion in simple questions and answers. It will be easier to understand the basic concept of hinduism if you know the. Hindu scriptures and holy books hinduism facts hinduism facts.
Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. The vedas are the four holiest books of the hindu religion. Therefore, in this article, we would try to put forth all the hinduism facts in brief before the world, so that everybody would have an idea about what hinduism is. Hinduism facts facts about hinduism religionhinduism. The broad term hinduism encompasses a wide variety of traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. Hinduism is not based on a strict set of rules, it is not based on a single holy book, and it wasnt founded by one individual. Vaishnavism vaishnavism fast facts and introduction vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. Brahman takes on many forms that some hindus worship as gods or.
Scholars describe hinduism as the product of religious development in india that spans nearly 4,000 years, making it perhaps the oldest surviving world religion. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, as well as the worlds oldest religion. Hinduism hinduism fast facts and introduction religionfacts. Nov 12, 20 read cnn s islam fast facts and learn more about islam, the religion of muslims, who believe in allah and his prophet muhammad. No one knows or cares to know who started hinduism. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or. Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life. This is because it grew out of cultural and religious changes in india.
So even though they worship many gods, in reality, its a monotheistic religion. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Worldrenown cult experts ron carlson and ed decker combine their extensive knowledge to give readers quick, clear facts on the major cults and false teachings of today. Nov 07, 20 read cnn s hinduism fast facts and learn more about hinduism, the thirdlargest religion after christianity and islam. Hinduism, with about one billion followers is the worlds third largest religion, after christianity and islam. The idea behind creating holy drops is to cherish religious information, where.
Religionfacts the website provides readers with general information, as well as fast facts, a glossary of significant words, a history of the religion, the beliefs, practices, holidays, and sects and schools of hinduism. There are multiple sects, theologies, and beliefs in hinduism, and there is no single book of doctrine. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. Hindu religious leaders prefer to use the term sanatana dharma the universal. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. About 95% of all hindus in the world live in india.
Hinduism is the dominant religion of india, about 85% of the over one billion persons living in india are known to the world as hindus. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. Mar 30, 2020 the holy river ganga has its bacteria called bacteriophage. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. Read cnn s islam fast facts and learn more about islam, the religion of muslims, who believe in allah and his prophet muhammad. They are believed to be one of the oldest books ever made by mankind. For instance, hinduism is not technically a religion. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the. Christianity is the worlds most widespread religion 2.
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