HinduismCPD2

=Hinduism =

 One of the oldest faiths in the world, Hinduism is a wide spread, polytheistic religion followed mostly by people in Asia. Hinduism shows faith in in the creation and destruction of life and has many gods, known as Devas. Though many gods are celebrated, Hindus still believe in one universal god, or Brahma.

Religious Leaders, Temples, and Sacred Places
 Hindus are encouraged to worship gods as an individual, not in groups like most religions, though they are ocassionaly lead by a priest. Hindus worship in buildings called mandirs. Before worship, Hindus ring a small bell to announce their presence. They pray to statues of their gods, such as Ganestha and Vishnu. These statatues are treated like real beings and are bathed, dressed and brought food daily.  Hindus believe rivers to be holy, and often bath in them. The holiest river is the Ganges, were Hindus go to wash away bad karma

Mandir

=Beliefs=

 Hinduism is a very rich and diverse religion, with many gods and many beliefs. The main belief is that there is one supreme essence, Brahma, that appears in many forms. Hindus believe Brahma is everything, from the smallest chicken to the oldest oak. For this reason, Hindus consider all animals and living things sacred. They especially think cows sacred.There are also two major gods, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. These appear on earth in avatars, or false bodies. The most famous of Vishnu's avatars is Krishnu. A story tells of a soldier who, the night before battle, questions whether going to war is the right choice. Later that night, a person visits him and tells him that the is his whether or not to defend his home. This greatly helps him in his decision to fight. It is not until later that he finds out that the visitor, who called herself Krishnu, was actually Vishnu in her avatar. Hindus also follow Samsara, the process of life, death and rebirth. Once you die, you are reincarnated into another body, and depending on your karma, you are either rich or poor. Karma are actions that affect you in another life. This also leads to the belief in the caste system. The caste system is a system of social classes you can be reincarnated into depending on your karma. The four main groups are the Brahmin, which consist of scholars and priests, the Kshatriyas, or warriors and kings, the Vaisyas, who are merchants and other middle class people, and the Sudras, which are the slaves and servants. There is also another class known the Untouchables. These people are so ow on the caste system they are not to be touched, talked to or fed.

=Sacred Writing=

In Hinduism, the sacred writing is the Vedas. The Vedas is a collection of stories from long ago, which teach lessons, much like the Christian Bible. The Vedas is written in Sanskrit, which is the oldest writing in the world that is still used today. Another sacred writing is the Om, which is believed to be the first sound ever spoken.

=Holidays=

Hinduism has several holidays, the most well known is Divali, or the Festival of Lights. On Divali, Hindus light candles and pray at altars to show there is always light in the darkness. Another holiday is Holi, when Hindus celebrate spring by covering themselves with colored powder. Hindu children especially love this holiday!

As you can see, Hinduism is one of the greatest faiths in the world and almost 80% of India is Hindu along with many people in surrounding counties such as Nepal, making it the 3rd largest religion in the world!