By Maryjane Johnson & Casey NashHinduism

http://www.ancient-symbols.com/This is the sign that is used to represent

Hindusim.

History of Hinduism Hinduism is the oldest known religion It’s not a unified body, but a group of beliefs,

gods, and heroes who share a common element with each other

No official founder Grew from many overlapping cultures from

ancient civilizations in India A lot of knowledge came from the Aryans

› Aryans: group of people living in Northern India from 1500-1000 BC.

The text of the Aryan people is sacred to Hindus

Core Beliefs of Hinduism Tolerant to other religions and their beliefs Free to worship whatever god they want All of the gods are connected to the one universal god Brahman Believe in Karma & every action a person performs(good & bad)

has an effect on the person’s next life Believe in Ascetism: self-denial Hindus test their body in order to free the spirit and deny the

body’s needs There are 3 main gods known as the Hindu Trinity: Brahman,

Vishnu, & Shiva› Brahman was the creator of everything› Vishnu was the preserver and protector of the world› Shiva was the destroyer

The oldest and most sacred writings are the Vedas › Book composed of prayers, hymns, & rituals

http://pow.reonline.org.uk/

http://upload.wikimedia.org/

The picture on the left is a Hindu place of worship. The picture on the right is a picture on Mount Kailish, a sacred place in the Hindu

religion, according to theVedas.

Hinduism: Impact on Society Society was divided into different social classes, or castes› People could only marry inside their caste› Bottom class: The Untouchables› The Untouchables always had the dirtiest jobs and were often discriminated

against because of their class Reincarnation and karma helped prove the caste system

› The Untouchables were people who had misbehaved in their last life and now they were being punished for their actions

Hindu’s were taught to be nonviolent people› All organisms were works of their god Brahman› Disrespecting someone of something would be disrespecting Brahman

Dharma: the religious and moral a person has to fulfill in order to be accepted into their next life› Were different for everyone according to age, gender, class, and job

Spread of Hinduism across India helped unite Hindus Hinduism helped spread the practice of yoga and meditation across the

world

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This is a picture of the social classes that existed in Hindu society. As you can see, the Brahmins are at the top and the Untouchables

are at the bottom.

The Caste System in the Hindu Society

Diwali: Holiday of Hinduism Celebrated in all parts of India Lasts 2 to 5 days during month the of Kartika Diwali honors the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi

› Business owners & shop keepers pray to goddess They leave out lamps to help lead Lakshmi to homes of the faithful so she can

give them prosperity People decorate homes & temples with earthenware oil lamps

› Lamps represent the turning of the season and of the human spirit from darkness to light

› Lamps light path of ancestors who had come to earth during Diwali Shows respect for the return of Rama and his wife, Sita, to the holy

city of Ayodyha after 14 years in exile› Rama was the hero of the ancient Saskirt poem “The Ramayana”› Lamps welcome the couple back

Some people visit each other, exchange gifts, & wear new clothes during Diwali

High point of Diwali is the new moon› Day of the new moon is New Year’s Day in some parts of India

Holi: Holiday of Hinduism Holi celebrates victories of good over evil &

the triumph of devotion to a certain god Marks the end of winter and the beginning of

spring Associated with the god, Vishnu Eve. of Holi: People gather to sing and dance

around a bonfire› Bonfire represents Vishnu’s power

People often visit family and friends “Playing Holi”: a popular form of celebration in

which people apply water and colored powder onto one another

Where is Hinduism Practiced Today?

Most Hindus live in India› Hinduism is the main religion in India› 82% or 1.25 billion people

About 45 million Hindus live outside of India Those people mostly live in countries that

are close to India; Nepel, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka› Hinduism is the state religion of Nepel

About 2.5% of Hindus line in North America

Hindu Population

http://www.p12.nysed.gov

This is a map of the Hindu population. As you can see, most of the population is in the India area.

Citations "Hinduism and Buddhism." World History: Connections to Today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Prentice Hall, 2005. N. pag. Print. Sholle, Evan. "Buddhism and Hinduism Defined." ForeWord Sept.-Oct. 2007. Academic OneFile.

Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Clothey, Fred W. "Diwali." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Clothey, Fred W. "Holi." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. "Hinduism." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd Ed. Vol.

3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 477-480. Gale World History In Context. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.

Ramey, Steven W. "Hinduism." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.