Hinduism

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

Origins, definition and society

Origins of Hinduism

Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion in existence. From a Hindu perspective, the Sanatana Dharma is eternal, Universal principles with no beginning or end. Current historical thinking suggests that Hinduism was formed somewhere between 1500-1300 BCE. An earlier date of approximately 3102 BCE comes from a closer examination of the Mahabharata epic, where the exact positions of the stars were recorded at Lord Krishna's birth. The date of 1500-1300 BCE comes from the linguistic and literary dating of the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Hindu spiritual texts. Hindu beliefs place Lord Krishna's birth at a date 5000 years ago. Lord Krishna is believed to have been an incarnation of the majestic Lord Vishnu. This incarnation was preceded by an incarnation as Lord Rama which is dated at over 7000 years ago. It is believed by many Hindus that their religious tradition was fully formed by the time of Lord Rama's incarnation, which was believed to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. If this is true, this makes the religion much older than previously thought, though no texts exist from those times to confirm this.

Related Topics:
Sanatana Dharma - Mahabharata - Krishna - Vishnu - Rama

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The origin of collective Hindu thought cannot be ascribed to any single founder (though most of its schools of philosophy and belief can be), or associated with a single time or a single place of foundation. The Vedas, the earliest Hindu scriptures, are the compilation of spiritual laws and truths binding upon all of creation. It is believed that each Veda was written by enlightened beings over a long period of time. The term 'Hinduism' itself is a corrupt form of the word 'Sindhu', which literally means 'dweller in the Indus Valley'. The religion is often named (more appropriately) as Sanatana Dharma in all of its books.

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Hinduism is non-organisational and does not seek or encourage collectivism.

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Vedic religion

Modern Hinduism grew out of the religion described in the Vedas. The earliest of these, the Rigveda centres on worship of the gods Indra and Agni, and on the Soma ritual. The Ashvamedha was the most important sacrifice described in the Yajurveda, possibly performed for the last time by Samudragupta in the 4th century. The age and origins of the Vedas themselves are disputed, but it is clear that they were transmitted orally for several millennia. They show strong similarities to the language and religion of the Avesta, which are sometimes traced back to either the influence of the 3rd millennium BC Indus Valley Civilisation, or to a 2nd millennium BC Indo-Iranian migration (see Aryan invasion theory), or to a combination of these.

Related Topics:
Vedas - Rigveda - Indra - Agni - Soma - Ashvamedha - Yajurveda - Samudragupta - 4th century - Avesta - 3rd millennium BC - Indus Valley Civilisation - 2nd millennium BC - Indo-Iranian - Aryan invasion theory

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Caste system

The four Hindu varnas (literally, 'colors') or castes are Brahmins (priests, learned men), Kshtriyas (warriors & royalty), Vysyas (merchants) and Sudras (workers). These divisions are based upon the duties to society and the different varnas are meant to work together towards the welfare of the society.

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The hereditary nature of caste and whether it is sanctioned by the scriptures is the subject of much discussion and controversy. In spite of centuries of numerous reform movements, notably within Vedanta, bhakti yoga and Hindu streams of Tantra, and reformers, with recent stalwarts like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi, caste based discrimination is so deeply ensconced in the Indian consciousness that even Christian converts have been known to separate church meetings for different castes. A number of Muslim communities have retained caste practices as well.

Related Topics:
Vedanta - Bhakti yoga - Tantra - Swami Vivekananda - Mahatma Gandhi - Muslim

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Caste still plays a significant role in Hindu society. However, post Independence, caste is losing favour in India and caste-based discrimination has been illegitimised. There is provision for reverse discrimination and measures such as backward caste quotas in collegiate admissions and jobs have been taken by the government.

Related Topics:
Independence - Reverse discrimination

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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/10/19/stories/05192524.htm. Caste-based quotas have been controversial with various political parties exploiting these divisions for electoral gain.

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Hindutva

Main Articles: Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra,

Related Topics:
Hindutva - Hindu Rashtra

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In the 20th century, emerging Indian nationalism began to emphasise Hinduism, in opposition to the British Raj, but also in contrast to Islam, and after Independence in connection with the territorial disputes with Pakistan. Such nationalistic Hinduism is generally termed Hindutva ("Hinduness", paradoxically not a well-formed Sanskrit word, since "Hindu" is a Persian word), but the boundaries are fluid and the Indian Supreme Court ruled that "no precise meaning can be ascribed to the terms 'Hindu', 'Hindutva' and 'Hinduism'; and no meaning in the abstract can confine it to the narrow limits of religion alone, excluding the content of Indian culture and heritage." Hindutva ideology was enunciated first by Savarkar in his seminal work 'Hindutva'. Hindutva ideology rose to importance in Indian politics in the 1980s and is chiefly associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh movement. It has come to symbolise the rising bi-polarisation of Indian polity in the late 1990's and the first decade of the 21st century, evident in the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the same period.

Related Topics:
Nationalism - Hindutva - Savarkar - Indian politics - 1980s - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - Bharatiya Janata Party

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Temples

Hindu temples inherited rich and ancient rituals and customs, and have occupied a special place in Hindu society. They are usually dedicated to a primary deity, called the presiding deity, and other deities associated with the main deity. (In the US though, most mandirs are dedicated to multiple deities.) Most major temples are constructed per the aagama shastras.

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Temples are a place for darshan (vision of the divine), puja, meditation, and religious congregation among other religious activities. Puja, or ritual devotion, frequently uses the aid of a ' (statue) in conjunction with the singing or chanting of meditational prayer in the form of mantras. Devotional songs called bhajans (written primarily from the 14th-17th centuries), kirtan (praise), and arti (a filtered down form of Vedic fire ritual) are sometimes sung in conjunction with performance of puja. This rather organic system of devotion attempts to aid the individual in connecting with God through symbolic medium.

Related Topics:
Puja - Meditation - Mantra - Bhajan - Kirtan - Arti

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The temple culture has been undergone dramatic changes, partly due to the deteriorating social status and influence of brahmins. Similarly, the unique institute of sacred temple dancers and artists, devadasis, has gone through many upheavals.

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Most practising Hindus maintain a mandir (temple) in their homes for daily worship and meditation.

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Current geographic distribution

Of the total Hindu population of the world, about 94% (890 million) live in Bharat (India). Other countries with a significant number of Hindu communities include:

Related Topics:
Bharat - India

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• Nepal (23 million)
• Bangladesh (14.4 million)
• Indonesia (4.3 million)
• Pakistan (2.5 million)
• Sri Lanka (3 million)
• Malaysia (1.5 million)
• The United States (1.5 million)
• South Africa (1.1 million)
• Middle East (1 million)
• The United Kingdom (800,000)
• Russia (700,000)
• Mauritius (600,000)
• Bhutan (560,000)
• Trinidad and Tobago (330,000)
• Canada (320,000)
• Fiji (340,000)
• Guyana (300,000)
• Netherlands (250,000)
• Singapore (160,000)
• Suriname (110,000)
• Kenya (100,000)
• Germany (100,000)
• Australia (60,000)
• France (50,000)
• Switzerland (50,000)

The Indonesian islands of Bali, Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Borneo have significant native Hindu populations. Bali's major religion is Hinduism and is still reflected on the traditional Balinese culture and architecture.

Related Topics:
Bali - Java - Sulawesi - Sumatra - Borneo

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