Hinduism
By Chris Ulizio
Introduction
Hinduism is the most popular religion in India with approximately 828,000,000 followers. Hinduism is said to date back to 1,500 BCE. Hinduism has one main deity and other gods and goddesses as making up one supreme god.
Beliefs and prctices
Hindus believe in one god named Brahman, but view other gods and goddesses as manifests of him. Hindus worship god in the form of an idol. Hindus revere objects that are useful to humans like rivers and trees. The cow is the most revered object.
Caste system
According to the caste system, a person who leads a good life with good karma and dharma will be reincarnated as a person the next highest class. If a person leads a wicked life, will be demoted or removed from the system. Outcasts are people who have been removed from the system with no hope of returning. The levels of the caste system are Bhramin which consists of priests, Kshatriya which is made up of warriors, Viasya which is landowners and merchants, and finally there is the Sudra class which is formed by commoners, peasants, and servants.
the gods of Hinduism
The main god Hindus believe in is called Brahman. Hindus also recognize other gods and goddesses as deities. The most popular of these deities are named Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, and Lord Rama.
Origins of Sanskrit
Most of the holy books in Hinduism were written in Sanskrit. Hindus consider Sanskrit to be the mother of all languages. Sanskrit is the official language of Hinduism and some other languages in the area.
Importance of the Ganges River
The Ganges river is seen as a scared place to Hindus and is personified as the goddess Ganga. Hindus believe that bathing in the river takes away sins. The water of the river is considered pure.
Sacred texts
There is many holy books in Hinduism. The main book is the Vedas. This book is a collection of hymns praising gods. Another holy book is the Ramayana which is long epics about Rama and Sita, two deities.