HinduismBPD6

Hinduism  History:  There is no actual founder of hinduism. It is a polytheistic religion. Many different beliefs have formed over time, but this religion probably arose in the Indus Valley during 1500 BC. It is possibly the oldest religion. 80% of India is Hindu.



Beliefs: They believe in the Caste System. That is their social class. They also have deities, or Gods. Also, they believe in reincarnation and Karma. They believe in the cycle of life or Samara. The girls wear bindi dots on their heads to feel connected and closer to their gods. They also believe they should not eat beef because the cow is holy.

Spiritual Places: The hindus puja (worship) in the Mandir. When the hindus walk into the Mandir, they ring a bell and take off their shoes and wash their feet. That is their way of being respectful. The Mandir normally has a tower on the outside and has a shrine on the inside. It is practiced frequently today in India, Nepal, Bangledesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, United States, Great Britain, and Malaysia.

Sacred Writings: Sacred writings in hinduism include The Vedas: ancient text that teaches lessons. Their language is called sanskrit. Mahabartha is the longest poem.

Spiritual Leaders: Brahma is the supreme God. Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, and Ganesha are also deities. Ghandi was another great God to the hindus in the 1950s. The God pictured here is Ganesha.

Traditions and Holidays: The swastica represents good luck. It points in all directions showing that Brahma is everywhere. One of the Holidays is Holi. Holi is a spring festival. Basically, what they are celebrating is Spring and colors. They have bonfires, they sing and dance, and have colored water fights where they get covered in color. Divali is their other holiday. It lasts for seven days. They light oil lamps so light can overcome the darkness. It means good overcoming darkness. It also means a new start. This is when spring cleaning of the Mandir takes place.

﻿This is what the celebration of Divali <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 190%;">looks like...

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