| Religion
in India is a part of life. Though Hinduism is the dominant religion, Indians
have learnt to co-exist
with people of other faiths. Whether it is the ancient shlokas
of the Hindu prayers, the aazaans of the Muslim prayers, the gurvani of the Sikhs
or the chanting of the Buddhist monks - all fill the sky simultaneously. The main
religious communities in India are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains and Parsis. India's main religion
- Hinduism is followed by approximately 80% of the population and is one of the
oldest existing religions with its roots going back to 1000 BC. The rituals and
the religious practices of the Indus Valley Civilization developed with the influence
of the Dravidians and the Aryan invaders who came to India around 1500 BC. This
religion has gifted a number of Holy books to the world, which includes the Bhagwad
Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas. 
Hinduism believes that a person's life is actually
the journey of the soul. The Hindu goes through a series ofreincarnations, that
eventually leads to 'moksha' or 'salvation' i.e. 'freeing the body from the cycle
of rebirths'. Purity of mind and action is essential; as 'karma' or 'actions in
life' determine one's reincarnation. 'Dharma', on the other hand controls the
laws of the social,ethical and spiritual. The most interesting fact about the
religion is the number of Gods that are worshipped. However, the three main manifestations
of the omnipresent God are: Brahma - the creator of the universe, Vishnu - the
protector and Shiva - the destroyer. |