The Om or Aum that represents Hindu culture HINDUISM The Om or Aum that represents Hindu culture

Religion in India: Hinduism Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all have found a place in India. Archaeologists have recently uncovered artifacts that suggest that Hinduism may date back 6,000-10,000 years (depending on whom you ask) making it the world’s oldest religion still in practice today. Hinduism is the main religion in Nepal and 80% of India's 1.1 billion people call themselves Hindu. Hinduism is a result of cultural diffusion ! Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that developed slowly over a long period of time. There is no single founder.

How do Hindus View God? In contrast to Monotheistic religions (those that worship one God) Hinduism is Pantheistic, meaning that Hindus believe in one god but see that God (called Brahman) as being made up of many gods. Hindus believe that God (Brahman) is so vast and complicated that a mere human could never fully comprehend Brahman, therefore, Hindus pray to different aspects of Brahman. In Hinduism there are three main gods which are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

The Vedas/Upanishads are written to explore how a person can achieve liberation from desires and suffering. This is described as moksha, perfect understanding of all things. Achieving moksha releases a person from life in this world.

Braham(life-giving), Vishnu(preserver of life), Shiva(destroyer of evil)

Other gods and goddesses include Laxmi the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity; Hindus pray to her for money and luck. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge. The god Ganesh, a favorite for many Hindus and the most recognizable because he has the head of an elephant, is the remover of obstacles and helps people to accomplish difficult goals. The important thing to remember is that all of these gods represent individual parts of Brahman.

How do Hindus Worship God? Hindu temples can be found throughout South Asia. Each temple is unique in that it may be dedicated to a different god or goddess. Each temple has an altar for puja (prayer). This altar contains the image of the god, a bell, incense, flowers, water, and fruit. Each temple is run by a priest (Brahmin) whose job is to offer prayers, perform important rituals, wedding and funeral ceremonies.

REINCARNATION Hindus believe that our souls are born and reborn many times, each time into a new body. This process of rebirth is known as reincarnation. When a Hindu dies their bodies are cremated (burned) and their ashes are scattered over an important place like a river or mountain top. The best place for a Hindu’s ashes to be scattered is in the sacred waters of the Ganges(GANGA) River. Hindus cremate their dead loved-ones because the body is an illusion and only the soul lives on

KARMA AND DHARMA According to the traditional Hindu view of reincarnation, a person who has died is reborn in a new physical form. The physical form depends on his or her karma, the effects that good and bad actions have on a person’s soul. Think of karma as a balance scale: Good deeds build good karma and bad deeds build bad karma; when you die your karma is weighed. Those with more good karma than bad move up in the caste system. Those with more bad karma than good are reborn into a lower caste with a harder life. Dharma are the religious and moral duties that are expected of a person.

Karma is never a fixed thing Karma is never a fixed thing. Being selfish, stealing, or harming others builds bad karma. This bad karma can be washed away by performing good deeds or to bathe in the Holy waters of the Ganges River in India.

Untouchable- Outcasts CASTE SYSTEM Another way to wash away bad karma is to obey your duty to your caste. The caste system is an ancient social order that dates back thousands of years. Ancient Indian society was divided into four main groups called castes. Merchants, Landowners Peasants, servants Priests Warriors Untouchable- Outcasts

CASTE SYSTEM The caste a person belongs to is determined at birth. Your caste is the same as your parents, grandparents, and so on. There is NO Social Mobility in the caste system. Very RIGID. Second, castes are divided by occupation.

CASTE SYSTEM Today the rules for caste are changing. Hindus are more likely to work in the occupation that they choose rather than the one they were born into. Also, many Indians work, play, and even marry regardless of caste. Officially, the government of India has made the caste system illegal. However, old customs are hard to break especially in more conservative rural areas. In the villages many people still associate only with their own caste and untouchables often face discrimination when trying to find employment or housing.

In some extreme, but rare, examples, lower caste people have been attacked, beaten, or murdered for drinking from the wrong well or breaking other caste rules Click on picture below to hear more about the untouchables.

Problems in India today Increasing population: 1.2 billion Indians Inequality of castes: Banned in 1950 but still seen in rural communities River pollution: Ganges River…second part of video here Pollution because of rapid urbanization and industrialization