Hinduism

:This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation).

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Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on teachings of the Veda scriptures. It encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary by culture, as well as many diverse beliefs and sects. The estimates of Hinduism's origin vary from 3102 BCE to 1300 BCE. It is also the third largest religion with a following of approximately 1 billion people. Ninety-eight percent of Hinduism's practitioners can be found on the Indian subcontinent, chiefly in Bharat (India). It is noteworthy however that the relatively small Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is the only nation in the world with Hinduism as its state religion. The term 'Hindu' itself derives from the name of the Sindhu (Indus) river, which is known as Hindu in Persian.

Related Topics:
Veda - Indian subcontinent - Bharat - India - Nepal - Hindu - Sindhu

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See Hindu for more about who a Hindu is and different communities of Hindus.

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