ORIGIN & HISTORY HINDUISM Dharma

Hindus refer to their religion as dharma, which means

code of moral and righteous duty. The concept of
dharma pertains to the duties and responsibilities of
the individual, and it is considered essential to the
 The term ‘Hinduism’ derives from a Persian
welfare of the individual
word that refers to the Sindhi (or Indus) river
in northwest India

 Hinduism has 2 religious and cultural

influences: the Indus Valley Civilization that
was located in what is today northwest India
and eastern Pakistan

 Indus Valley focused on ritual bathing and Date of publication

animal sacrifice, elements that later raised BELIEFS
Hinduism’s attention to the purifying qualities
of water and sacrifice but the Aryan’s had Paths to Salvation
rituals that revolved around fire 1. Bhakti Yoga (The Path of Devotion) - it provides the
opportunity to worship Brahman in a concrete way
rather than as an abstract notion
2. Karma Yoga (The Path of Action) - the key to this
path is good deeds and thought, which will lead to the
accumulation of good karma.
SACRED WRITINGS 3. Jnana Yoga (The Path of Wisdom) - Followers learn
about the relationship between the Brahman and
atman and about the nature of the universe as CUSTOMS
Aryan’s worshipped a explained in the scriptures
variety of gods, many of 4. Raja Yoga - Followers of this path achieve salvation
them linked to natural through meditation, or deep contemplation on 1. Hindus do not wear footwear inside homes,
forces. These religious Brahman temples, and other holy places. They do not enter
rituals and myths were the temples after consuming alcohol and/or non-
eventually formulated as The Caste System vegetarian food
the Vedas, a genre of A caste system is a class structure that is determined by 2. They do not eat meat Mondays, Thursdays,
orally-transmitted texts the way you live and where you are born. Saturdays and some festivals or occasions
that would come to form 3. Arranged marriages generally take place within
the foundation of the respective castes only
Hinduism 4. A married Hindu woman wears a Manga sutra
around her neck, bangles on her hand, and toe
rings, which indicate that she is married
5. Showing respect to elders is very important. A
son must take care of his parents in their old age.
Younger people touch the feet of their elders to
show respect and take blessings from them
(Mother, Father and Teachers are considered as
next to god and are highly respected)
 RITES OF PASSAGE SYMBOL STAGES OF LIFE

1. Birth  This syllable is made up of three sounds:

 Hindus perform rituals and recite prayers
to protect the fetus from illness or harmful
spirits
 The mother eats only healthy foods to
ensure the newborn’s well-beings
 The father dips a gold pen into a jar of
honey and writes the sacred Sanskrit
symbol, Om, onto the infant’s tongue
2. Naming a Child
 A child is named by a priest ten days after
birth
 Most Hindus are made of Numerology by
using the day you are born and where
your parents are from.
a-u-m
 Om is believed to contain the secrets of
the universe and is chanted at the
beginning of prayers, blessings, and
meditation
 Om symbolizes the first three Vedas --
the present, past and future -- and the
three states of consciousness -- waking,
dreaming, and deep sleep

3. Marriage
 Hindus almost always marry within the
same caste but in modern times there are
increasing exceptions HISTORICAL SITES
 The ceremony centers around a sacred
fire, a manifestation of the god, Agni.

4. Death
 The funeral begins when the body is
wrapped in cloth and carried away on a
stretcher
 Traditionally, the eldest son lights the
wood of the funeral pyre with a flame lit in
a nearby temple
 The ritual also protects the relatives from
evil spirits. The ceremony concludes when
the ashes are thrown into a river.
ARRANGED & FORCED Holy city of Varanasi: Located along the West
Bank of Holy Ganges. It is believed it fell from
MARRIAGE heaven to earth, giving life to people and watering
the plains that produce much needed food
An arranged marriage is a marriage set up by
family members. Both couples can choose whether
SPREAD
or not to participate. An arranged marriage is a
forced marriage if either partner is unwilling to give
consent into marriage.

5. First Solid Food

 It happens 7-8 months after the birth of the
child. On the day of the ceremony, parents
recite a special prayer asking the deities to
bring good health and life to the child
Nepal has the largest amount of Hindu population,
followed by India, Mauritius and Sri Lanka