Hinduism The oldest organised system of belief in the world. Originated in India and still practised there and in many other countries. Believe that there have been many universes before us and will be many after us. Believe that Vishnu is the Supreme deity who is omniscient, and omnipresent and from whom all others stem. He appears in many forms to service the many different needs of man.

Deities Vishnu divides himself into many gods and godesses who are worshipped individually by Hindus. Each with their own special power or talent. So, even though in theory it is a monotheistic religion, its practice is polytheistic as they pray to many gods. The three main gods are thus Vishnu who maintains the earth, Brahma who creates in the world and Shiva who destroys and recreates in the world.

Karma Hindus believe in reincarnation, birth and rebirth. Karma dictates the circumstance of ones next life. If you are good in this one, you will be rewarded in the next and vice versa. The aim is to purify one’s soul to the extent that one no longer needs to reincarnate and can achieve Moksha, where one remains in a spiritual state and lives with the gods.

Values and ideologies Hindus believe in non-violence and respect for all living things Devotion to worship Many are vegetarian as they don’t kill animals either. But if they do eat meat, they don’t eat beef ever. They believe cows are sacred and never harm them.

Places of worship Hindus have temples that are communal and often specific to a god or godess. They also have home temples where they pray in their own homes. Offerings, rituals and chanting prayers are all part of Hindu worship. Some of these are related to food preparation and washing.

Sacred Texts The Baghavad Gita is the main Hindu text. It is written in Sanskrit There are many other sacred texts from which they study too. This is the symbol of Hinduism. It is called Aum, or Om and is the Sanskrit word for G-d.

Diwali The festival of lights Celebrated between October and November each year. The dark half the month. This year 3rd November. In general, Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil, of righteousness over treachery, of truth over falsehood, and of light over darkness.

Diwali is the holy time in which Hindus pray to Maha Lakshmi Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Diwali is a holiday of joy; it is the time when Hindus gather with loved ones, celebrating family, friends and the prosperity the gods have bestowed upon them.