HINDUISM

1. HINDUISM

2. Hinduism • third largest world religion with about 900 million Hindus worldwide. • The religion dates back over 4,000 years. • Hinduism is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices which originated near the river Indus in India. • The name 'Hindu' comes from the word Indus.

3. Beliefs • Supreme God Brahman, the universal soul, which is found in everything. • Hinduism does not have any founder. • Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. • KARMA • Believe their past actions affect them, either positively or negatively, and that their present actions will affect them in the future. • Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of lives and that the next life is dependent on how the previous life was lived.

4. Holy Books • The main Hindu scriptures are: • the Vedas, a collection of hymns praising the Vedic gods. Veda means 'knowledge' • the Ramayana, long epic poems about Rama and Sita • the Mahabharata, which includes the BhagavadGita • the Puranas, a collection of stories about the different incarnations and the lives of saints.

5. Worship • Puja (worship) takes place in the Mandir (temple). • Mandirs vary in size from small village shrines to large buildings, surrounded by walls. • People can also visit the Mandir at any time to pray and participate in the bhajans (religious songs). • Hindus also worship at home and often have a special room with a shrine to particular gods.

6. gods • Brahman (main God who is in all things) • Brahma (creator of life) • Vishnu (preserver of life) • Shiva (destroyer of life)

7. Brahma

8. Brahma's job was creation of the world and all creatures. His name should not be confused with Brahman, who is the supreme God force present within all things. • Brahma is the least worshipped god in Hinduism today. There are only two temples in the whole of India devoted to him, compared with the many thousands devoted to the other two.

9. Vishnu

10. His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, he has been incarnated nine times, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated one last time close to the end of this world. • Vishnu's worshippers, usually called Vaishnava, consider him the greatest god. They regard the other gods as lesser or demi gods. Vaishnava worship only Vishnu.

11. He is particularly associated with light and especially with the Sun. • represented with a human body, often with blue coloured skin and with four arms. His hands always carry four objects in them, representing the things he is responsible for. • The conch: the sound this produces 'Om', represents the primeval sound of creation • The chakra, or discus: symbolises the mind • The lotus flower: an example of glorious existence and liberation • The mace: represents mental and physical strength

12. Shiva

13. Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. • Hindus believe his powers of destruction and recreation are used even now to destroy the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for beneficial change. • Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements. • Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behavior.

14. CELEBRATIONS • Holi (Welcome Spring!) • Diwali (Festival of Light)

15. Diwali • Festival of Lights • Diwali is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals. • The word Diwali means 'rows of lighted lamps'. Diwali is known as the 'festival of lights' because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called diyas

16. The Meaning of Diwali • The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, although there are different legends in different parts of India

17. Celebrating Diwali • For many Indians this five day festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. • People start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say prayers to the goddess for a successful year. • Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people's homes. • They also celebrate one of the Diwali legends, which tells of the return of Rama and Sita to Rama's kingdom after fourteen years of exile.

18. The festival is a time for: • spring-cleaning the home • wearing new clothes • exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals • decorating buildings with fancy lights. • huge firework displays often celebrate Divali. • In India Hindus will leave the windows and doors of their houses open so that Lakshmi can come in. Rangoli are drawn on the floors - rangoli are patterns and the most popular subject is the lotus flower.

22. Holi • Holi is a festival celebrated in north India. It marks the coming of Spring, usually in March. • Some families hold religious ceremonies, but for many, Holi is more a time for fun than religious observance. • Holi is a colorful festival, with dancing, singing, and throwing of powder paint and colored water. • Bonfires are lit and roasting grains, pop corn, coconut and chick peas are thrown by Hindu families • The next day, people of all ages go into the streets for fun and paint-throwing. Everyone gets involved - with no distinctions between caste, class, age or gender. • Hindus have fun by smearing each other with paint and throwing colored water at each other, all done in a spirit of celebration

23. Pictures • http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2011/03/holi-the-hindu-festival-of-col.html

24. Questions for Thought • Which festival do you think would be fun to attend? • Why do you think throwing colors at each other would help welcome Spring? • Using any background knowledge, how can light often chase away the darkness? What kind of power does light possess?