http://www.ancient-symbols.com/
This is the sign that is used to represent
Hindusim.
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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.
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The text of the Aryan people is sacred to Hindus
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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
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The oldest and most sacred writings are the Vedas
› Book composed of prayers, hymns, & rituals
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.
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Society was divided into different social classes, or castes
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Reincarnation and karma helped prove the caste system
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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
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
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All organisms were works of their god Brahman
Disrespecting someone of something would be disrespecting Brahman
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Were different for everyone according to age, gender, class, and job
Dharma: the religious and moral a person has to fulfill in order to
be accepted into their next life
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.
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Celebrated in all parts of India
Lasts 2 to 5 days during month the of Kartika
Diwali honors the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi
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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
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Shows respect for the return of Rama and his wife, Sita, to the holy
city of Ayodyha after 14 years in exile
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Rama was the hero of the ancient Saskirt poem “The Ramayana”
Lamps welcome the couple back
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Day of the new moon is New Year’s Day in some parts of India
Some people visit each other, exchange gifts, & wear new clothes
during Diwali
 High point of Diwali is the new moon
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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
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› Bonfire represents Vishnu’s power
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People often visit family and friends
“Playing Holi”: a popular form of
celebration in which people apply water
and colored powder onto one another
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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
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› Hinduism is the state religion of Nepel
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About 2.5% of Hindus line in North America
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.
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"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.