HinduismAPD1

Hindusism History: 
 * According to historians the orgin of hinduism dates back to 5,000 years or more.
 * The word "Hindu" is derived from the name of river Indus, which flows through northwestern India.
 * The oldest form of Hindu scriptures, Veda, means wisdom or know ﻿ ledge, and contains hyms, prayers and ritual texts composed during a period of a thousand years.
 * The Upanishads are a collection of secret teachings including mystical ideas about man and the universe.

Beliefs:
 * Hindus believe that all paths lead to God.
 * There are Hindus who are Monotheistic, who believe in one almighty God unknowable to humans, and there are Hindus who are Pantheistic, who worship many Gods.
 * Life is an endless cycle of reincarnations until a person is able to escape it and merge into Nirvana.[[image:brahma01-310.jpg width="154" height="168" align="right"]]

Spiritual Places:
 * Elephanta Caves is the seventh century cave temple dedicated to Hindu God Shiva.
 * Badrinath is the most important of the four Char Dham Pilgrimage destinations, featuring a brightly painted temple.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Gangotri is the source of the sacred Ganges River and the seat of the Goddess Ganga.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Sacred Writings <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">:
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Sanskrit is one of the great epic poems of ancient India. It was written between 300 BC and 300 AD, it was meant to be a secular work. However because of its many religious qualities, it has given many ideas for Hindus to live by.
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Reciting the Ramayana is considered a religious act.
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The Bhagavad Gita is the most well known of the Hindu scriptures called the 'Song of the Adorable One".

<span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Spiritual Leaders: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Brahma is the creator, the daily alternation of light and dark is attributed to the activity of Brahma.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Shiva is the destroyer, Shiva is the God of the yogis, self controlled and celibate.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Vishnu is the protector and preserver. Vishnu appears to be a prime example of how older Gods and cults have been absorbed into Hinduism.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Traditions and Holidays:
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Holi is a spring festival, it is the festival of colors, its an occasion that brings joy, fun and play.
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Lohri is the long awaited bonfire festival, when people can come out of their homes and celebrate the harvesting of winter crops and give into relaxing and enjoying traditional folk songs and dances.
 * <span style="color: #ff7200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Puja is a religious ritual which most of the Hindus do Puja can be considered as connecting one to the domain and actions of the divine.