Pd4+Hinduism+C

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= Hinduism =

Religious Founders
Hinduism has no true founder, but about 4,000 years ago in the Indus River Valley, India. Hinduism was born!

Religious Leaders
The Main Religious leader of Hinduism is Mohandas Ghandi 1869 - 1948. The Common Everyday Religious Leaders of Hinduism are Guru's or Sages. A Guru is a spiritual teacher who transmits wisdom of spiritual study and meditation to others. A Guru also helps people get closer to enlightenment. On the other hand a Sage is a wise person, also called a Shamen or a Priest. Women may also be Sages, in spite of that men are traditionally sages.

Place of Worship
Hindu's worship at a home shrine or at a temple on special occasions. Home shrines are decorated with many religious images to help them concentrate on worship. They ring a bell to make the sound ohm, which is believed by Hindu's to be the first sound heard, and place offerings to the god's. Hindu's go to temples to take classes to learn the prayers and hyms called bhajans, classes are mostly for young children. However, it is not required to worship at a temple.

History
** Hinduism was founded in India. 14% and 900,000,000 people practice the Hinduism religion. Hinduism was originally used by the Aryans and Brahminism people. Hinduism's is mostly practiced today in India, Nepal, Sirlank, and Mataysia. Hinduism is now spreading to Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. **

Beliefs
The Hindu's believe in reincarnation, which means they believe that once you die you come back as another creature based on your carma, and your rank on the Caste System. They also believe that the soul is eternal and that the Ganges River washes away sins. Another belief of the Hinduism religion is the Indian Caste System. The Caste System is five levels of organization of the people, the higher level you are ranked the better creature you are reincarnated as. The levels are as follows,

** Brahman ** - Priest ** Kshatriya ** - Ruler, Warrior, or Land owner ** Vaishya ** - Merchants ** Shudra ** - Artisans, and Agriculturists ** Harijan ** - "Outside the Caste System" once known as "Untouchables"

Gods
The Hinduism religion has many gods, but the main God is Brahman. The Hinduism religion believes that Brahman is the creator and the enjoyer of all creation and that Brahman is space, the sky, and the entire universe. Other major gods include Shiva "the destroyer," Deities the god of luck, Ganesh destroyer of obstacles, and Vishnu "the preserver."

Sacred Writings
The Sacred Writings, or scriptures, of the Hinduism religion are the Vedas. There are four Vedas the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda. The word Veda means knowledge and wisdom. The Vedas contain hymns, incantation, and rituals from Ancient India.

How Hindu's Worship
The Hindus worship their gods through prayers and meditation. They wash up and take off their shoes before entering a temple. They prey to their many gods.

Religious Festivals
The Main Religious Festivals of the Hinduism religion are Mahashivanta, Holi, Ramnavami, Dusserah, and Diwali. Mahashivantia occurs in mid February, it is the night of the Shiva. Holi occurs in spring and is the Hindu festival of colors. Ramnavami happens in late March is in celebration or lord Rama's birthday. Dusserah, also known as nararatri, takes place in early November and is one of the most important festivals of all of the Hinduism religion. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and is dawned on in mid November.

Symbols
The Main Religious symbol of Hinduism is Aum. Aum is believed by the Hindu's to be the deepest sound heard in meditation. Aum is also the Hindu symbol of absolute.