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Hinduism. By Maryjane Johnson & Casey Nash. http://www.ancient-symbols.com/ This is the sign that is used to represent Hindusim . . History of Hinduism. Hinduism is the oldest known religion
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Hinduism By Maryjane Johnson & Casey Nash 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
The Caste System in the Hindu Society http://swilliams24.files.wordpress.com/ 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.
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.