India

1. India

2. The Caste System

3. Laws of Manu – Circa 100 B.C. • From his mouth God created the Brahman (priest), from his arms the Kshatriya (ruler), from his thighs the Vaishya (commoner), and from his feet the Shudra (servant). • Chapter 1 verse 51 The text presents itself as a discourse given by Manu, the progenitor of mankind to a group of seers, or rishis, who beseech him to tell them the "law of all the social classes".

4. Geography Area – 1,237,062 miles squared Highest point – Kanchenjunga – 28,208 Lowest Point – Sea Level

5. Facts about India Population: about 1.4 billion Urban population 26% - One in six of the world’s population lives in India. Capital: New Delhi Ethnic Groups – Indo Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% Languages – English, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, indigenous Religions – Hindu 80%, Muslim 11%, Christian 2%, Sikh 2% Life Expectancy – 61 female, male 60 Literacy = 48%

6. Where they speak it?

7. Politics Government – Republic Parties – Congress, Communist, Janata, Janata Dal and others Suffrage – Universal over 18 Subdivisions – 25 states, 7 union territories A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or Lieutenant-Governor for each territory.

8. Government President The government comprises three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The executive branch headed by the President, who is the Head of State and exercises his or her power directly or through officers subordinate to him. The Legislative branch or the Parliament consists of the lower house, the LokSabha, and the upper house, the RajyaSabha, as well as the president. The Judicial branch has the Supreme Court at its apex, 21 High Courts, and numerous civil, criminal and family courts at the district level. Smt. PratibhaDevisinghPatilwas born on December 19, 1934 in Nadgaon village of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra. 

9. Major Cities New Delhi In the heart of Old Delhi, this is the largest mosque in the area. Its name is the Jama Masjid

10. Tajmahal Located in the city Agra – about one hour outside of Delhi It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, MumtazMahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love.

11. Hinduism Hinduism is an ancient religion with no founder or known date of origin. The term "Hinduism" simply derives from the word "India" and refers to a wide variety of religious traditions and philosophies that have developed in India over thousands of years. Most Hindus worship one or more deities, believe in reincarnation, value the practice of meditation, and observe festive holidays like Diwali and Holi. Hinduism is not a religion in the same sense as Christianity is; it is more like an all encompasing way of life -- much as Native American spirituality is. The world’s third largest religion Also regarded as the oldest religion in the world

12. “OM” • Hinduism does not have • a single founder, • a specific theological system, • a single concept of deity, • a single holy text, • a single system of morality, • a central religious authority, • the concept of a prophet.  Symbols and practices Om (also spelled Aum) is a Hindu sacred sound that is considered the greatest of all mantras. The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o) and the symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning. It represent several important triads: • the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven • the three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva • the three sacred Vedic scriptures - Rg, Yajur, and Sama Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. This meaning is further deepened by the Indian philosophical belief that God first created sound and the universe arose from it. As the most sacred sound, Om is the root of the universe and everything that exists and it continues to hold everything together.

13. One of the most recognizable items in Hinduism is the bindi, a dot worn on women's foreheads. It is a form of the tilak (mark made on a persons head, a symbolic mark worn by many Hindu men and women, but has less religious connotations than other tilaks. Bindi The tilak is worn every day by sadhus and pious householders, and on special occasions like weddings and religious rituals. A tilak is also applied by a priest during a visit to the temple as a sign of the deity's blessing, for both men and women (and western tourists, too)

14. Tilak marks are applied by hand or with a metal stamp. They might be made of ash from a sacrificial fire, sandalwood paste, turmeric, cow dung, clay, charcoal, or red lead. In addition to its religious symbolism, the tilak has a cooling effect on the forehead and this can assist in concentration and meditation. Traditionally, the bindi is worn on the forehead of married Hindu women. It symbolizes female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. Bindis are traditionally a simple mark made with the paste of colored sandalwood, sindoor or turmeric. The bindi is most commonly a red dot made with vermilion (a mineral from rock).

15. Sacred Cow In ancient India, oxen and bulls were sacrificed to the gods and their meat was eaten. But even then the slaughter of milk-producing cows was prohibited. Verses of the Rigveda refer to the cow as Devi (goddess), identified with Aditi (mother of the gods) herself. Even when meat-eating was permitted, the ancient Vedic scriptures encouraged vegetarianism. One scripture says, "There is no sin in eating meat... but abstention brings great rewards." (The Laws of Manu, V/56) Later, in the spiritually fertile period that produced Jainism and Buddhism, Hindus stopped eating beef. This was mostly like for practical reasons as well as spiritual. It was expensive to slaughter an animal for religious rituals or for a guest, and the cow provided an abundance of important products, including milk, browned butter for lamps, and fuel from dried dung. Some scholars believe the tradition came to Hinduism through the influence of strictly vegetarian Jainism. But the cow continued to be especially revered and protected among the animals of India. By the early centuries AD, the cow was designated as the appropriate gift to the brahmans (high-caste priests) and it was soon said that to kill a cow is equal to killing a brahman. The importance of the pastoral element in the Krishna stories, particularly from the 10th century onward, further reinforced the sanctity of the cow.

16. First day of Hajj Muslims The Hajj(‎Ḥaǧǧ) is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah in the Arabic language).