1. Hinduism

2. Index of contents Introduction The importance of the Ganges River
Origins of Sanskrit
The Vedas and Mahabharata
The various gods

3. Introduction India is the most religiously nation in the world
 Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Christians live in India
Hinduism is the oldest and most practiced religion in India
Hinduism survived although political riots and foreign invasions ruled India
The beliefs of Hindu inclued many influences, sacred texts and thousands of gods

4. The importance of the Ganges River

5. The Ganges is the most revered river
 is formed by two mountain streams, the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda
The Ganges is important for fertile plain that provides food and support for nearly a billion people
The river has played a vital role in the growth of the civilizations
According to Hindu mythology the Ganges is a goddess  Ganga

6. Ganga lives in the heavens until a human king, Bhagiratha, prayed to the god Brahma to have her descend to Earth

7. people bath in the Ganges River in order to purify their souls

8. A picture which points out their situation and shows that the religion is a very important part for hindu society

9.  A map of the Ganges River

10. here are some more pictures for you

12. Origins of Sanskrit

13. an ancient Indo-European language
historical language of Hinduism and one of the 22 official languages of India
Sanskrit´s first written record can be found in the Rig-Veda
it is divided into two general categories, the more ancient Vedic Sanskrit and Classical Sanskrit

14. In the 18th century, Sir William Jones, a judge and language scholar, theorized that Sanskrit was linked to Greek and Latin through a common original language

15. The Sanskrit Alphabet
Many of the languages spoken in India today are descended from Sanskrit

16. The Vedas and Mahabharata

17. The Vedas the Vedas are Hinduism‘s oldest and most sacred texts
complied by Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana
the texts are collections of hymns and ritual instructions used to perform Vedic ceremonies

18. the oldest is the Rig-Veda  a collection of over 1000 hymns
the remaining books are the Atharva-Veda
a collection of myths, verses, spells and prayers named after the priest Atharvan
the Yajur-Veda  a book detailing Vedic sacrifice
the Sama-Veda  a collection of liturgical chants

20. Mahabharata

21. the Mahabharata is one of two major epics in ancient Indian literature
the story began in the oral tradition and was composed in Sanskrit over centuries
the epic is composed of nearly verses divided into 18 books  the sixth book contains the central text of Hinduism

22. The various gods

23. Shiva
known as the destroyer  the thrid of the principal gods of the Hindu
Hindus believe that Shiva destroys the world in order to recreate it and is the source of both good and evil
he is often presented with a blue face and throat; long, dark hair; and holds a trident (Dreizack)
he is also the ideal family man and husband when shown with is wife, the godess Parvati

25. Krishna and Radha Krishna is one of the most important gods in India
he is represent as a young man playing the flute  these image derive from the stories of his early life
in the middel ages the love between Krishna and the cowgirl Radha inspired a rich literature still treasured by people of all communities in all walks of life
Radha symbolizes the individual‘s surrender to the love of God

28. Hanuman the monkey king is the son of the Vedic wind god, Vayu
he has the head of a monkey and the body of a human, along with the power to fly and change size and shape
Representations of Hanuman often show him flying through the air

30. Saraswati Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and art
even today, students pray to her to achieve success in their studies and exams
she is traditionally shown as a fair young woman dressed in a white sari, seated on a lotus with four arms
in her frint two arms, Saraswati holds or plays a veena (instrument)
in her back two hands, she holds other things, such as a manuscript

31. that are symbols of meditations and knowledge

33. Lakshmi Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of beauty and wealth
she is represented as a beautiful young woman with four arms sitting or standing on a lotus bud
her four arms symbolize the four goals of human life
Lakshmi is usually shown clasping a lotus flower; in her two back hands, she holds gold coins, signs of wealth

34. Hindus believe Lakshmi bestow good fortune and well-being on the family

36. Ganesha Ganesha is the elephant-headed Hindu god
the son of the god Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvati, Ganesha is represented with the head of an elephant over a plump human body with four arms