third largest religion in the world (after Christianity and Islam) about 762 million followers – 13 % world’s population dominant religion in India (mainly in Bharat) and Nepal between 766,000 – 1.1 million Hindus in United States world’s oldest organized religion based on practice of Dharma, the code of life has different names - Sanatana Dharma “eternal religion” - Vaidika Dharma “religion of the Vedas” - Hinduism (mostly used in North America) ~ancient inscription ~Persian word for Indian ~Persian corruption of the word Sindu (the river Indus) ~name invented by the British administration in India during colonial times third largest religion in the world (after Christianity and Islam) about 762 million followers – 13 % world’s population dominant religion in India (mainly in Bharat) and Nepal between 766,000 – 1.1 million Hindus in United States world’s oldest organized religion based on practice of Dharma, the code of life has different names - Sanatana Dharma “eternal religion” - Vaidika Dharma “religion of the Vedas” - Hinduism (mostly used in North America) ~ancient inscription ~Persian word for Indian ~Persian corruption of the word Sindu (the river Indus) ~name invented by the British administration in India during colonial times

Early history: Classical Theory Emerging Theory Sacred Texts: most important – Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva) others – Upanishadas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Brahmanas, Sutras, and Aranyakas Hindu Beliefs: Polytheistic Monotheistic Trinitarian (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) Henotheistic Hindus… do not separate religion from the other aspects of their lives mostly worship at home with their own shrine Early history: Classical Theory Emerging Theory Sacred Texts: most important – Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva) others – Upanishadas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Brahmanas, Sutras, and Aranyakas Hindu Beliefs: Polytheistic Monotheistic Trinitarian (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) Henotheistic Hindus… do not separate religion from the other aspects of their lives mostly worship at home with their own shrine

Ganesha is the most widely worshipped Hindu God. He is worshipped at the start of any action or venture, because he is considered to be the God who removes obstacles. He has an elephant head and four arms. In his upper hands he holds the pasa and ankusam. In the lower two hands are held in the abhaya and varada mudras. He is also seen holding his broken tusk in his right lower hand and a modhakam in his left lower hand. He has a huge belly and is fond of various sweets and fruits. He wears a sanke ornament round his belly. He is depicted in seated, standing and dancing postures.

Goddesses Lakshmi is the possessor of every form of wealth. She is the possessor of great beauty and is depicted in standing as well as in the seated postures. She is however always seen on a lotus. In her hands she holds two lotuses.

Brahma is the god of creation. He has four heads (originally five), representing the four vedas which are said to have sprung from his heads. He is bearded & his eyes are closed in meditation. He sits on a lotus. In his four arms he holds the vedas, the kamandalam (water pot), suruva (sacrificial spoon). He is a serene soul and is the provider of all sources of knowledge & wisdom. There are no temples for Brahma. According to mythology, he is supposed to have been cursed by Shiva (for his having uttered a lie & for his ego) that he would go without worship.

Goddess Saraswathi is the of wisdom and learning. She is considered as the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and all skills. She is depicted with four hands. In one hand she holds a book and in the other a rosary. With her other two hands, she is seen playing the veena. The swan is known for its exceptional characteristic of being capable of separating out water from milk, indicating that we should possess discrimination to segregate the bad from the good.

Siva is the last of the Trinities is the God of destruction. Siva resides high up on snowy mountain ranges. Image of Siva in his physical form presents him as a soothing meditative figure. His ornaments are not gold & precious stones.

Hanuman, the monkey God is considered to live eternally. He is strong, full of valor, with various skills and powers. At the same time, he is wise, a great gnani, a yogi, a brahmachari. He had the one thought only - that of serving his Lord Rama with utmost humility and devotion. He is known as Siriya Thiruvadi.

Vishnu is one of the principal Hindu deities, worshipped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of dharma (moral order). In theory, Vishnu manifests a portion of himself anytime he is needed to fight evil, and his appearances are innumerable

The law of Karma states that for every action you take there will be a reaction in the future after you are reincarnated. Leading a positive life and taking good actions builds good karma which leads to joy and happiness in the future. Reincarnation is the passing of the soul from one body to the next. Leading a negative life and taking bad actions builds bad karma which leads to disease and suffering in the future. Your rebirth into a new life is determined by you karma or actions in you present life. The goal of achieving good karma was to escape the cycle of existence. By escaping the cycle, your spirit would be united with the Great Word Spirit, Brahman. Brahmins are, by definition the closest to ultimate release from the law of reincarnation.

It gave the poor society hope that if they maintained good karma, they might improve their condition in the next life and move up the social ladder. In the Hindu religion, we never die; we merely change our physical form until we have perfected our karma. There are 8.4 million different forms of bodies. Being a human is the highest form of life. The goal of achieving good karma was to escape the cycle of existence. By escaping the cycle, your spirit would be united with the Great Word Spirit, Brahman. Brahmins are, by definition the closest to ultimate release from the law of reincarnation. Reincarnation provided religious sanction for the class division in Indian society in addition to providing moral and political justification for the privileges of those at the higher end of the scale. Brahman is described in the Upanishads as a form of dreamless sleep, free of earthly desires.

Duiker, William and Jackson Speilvogel. The Essential World History Comprehensive Volume. United States.: Thomson Learning Inc., Hindu Gods & Goddesses. Saigan Connection. 27 September Hinduim – Introduction. BBC World Service. 28 September Robinson, B.A. Hinduism. 9 August Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 28 September Trivedi, Maulesh. Hindu Gods Image Gallery September 2003.