Hinduism

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Hinduism

Introduction

Hinduism is a religion that originated in India and is still

practiced by most of the Natives as well as the people who have migrated from

India to other parts of the world. Statistically there are over seven hundred

million Hindus, mainly in Bharat, India and Nepal. Eighty five percent of the

population in India is Hindu. The word Hindu comes from an ancient Sanskrit term

meaning "dwellers by the Indus River," referring to the location of India's

earliest know civilization, the Pakistan. There is not much organization and

hierarchy is nonexistent. The religion suggests commitment to or respect for an

ideal way of life know as Dharma. Hinduism absorbs foreign ideas and beliefs

making it have a wide variety of beliefs and practices. This has given it a

character of social and doctrinal system that extends to every aspect of life.

The Hindus own definition of their community is "those who believe in Vedas."

History/Origin

The practices and beliefs of Hinduism cannot be understood

without knowing the background. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, it

dates back more than 3,000 years. Hinduism is unique in the fact that it has no

founder. Its origins are lost in a very distant past. In 1500 BC the Indo-Aryan

tribes invaded India and took over the Mahenjo-daro. From the combination of

these two tribes came the worship of goddesses. The Hindus started practices

such as bathing in temple tanks and the postures of yoga. Soon gods of war

started being created and worshipped. Sakas then began invading the Hindus and

made a large impact on the religion. The sacred temples started to be built and

the sacred laws were codified and myths and legends were preserved in the

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