Indian Religions

Religion in India is a very big part of everyday life. The Sanskrit word for the religion is dharma. The main religious communities and the religions in India are

Hindus – Hinduism
Jains – Jainism
Parsis – Zoroastrianism
Bahá’í – Bahá’í Faith
Sikhs – Sikhism
Muslims – Islam
Christians – Christianity
Buddhists – Buddhism

India is a birth place of four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Brahmanism (Hinduism), with its accompanying social caste system, evolved from the Vedic religion of Aryan invaders.
HINDUISM :-
Hinduism is “A Way Of Life”. There is no founder of Hinduism. The word “Hindu” is derived from the name of river Indus, which flows through northern India. In ancient times the river was called the ‘Sindhu’, but the Persians who migrated to India called the river ‘Hindu’, the land ‘Hindustan’ and its inhabitants ‘Hindus’. Thus the religion followed by the Hindus came to be known as ‘Hinduism’. The seeds of Hinduism was brought to India by the Aryans who settled along the banks of the Indus river about 2000 B. C. The Aryans first worshipped the forces of nature e.g., Surya, the Sun; Vayu, the Wind; Agni, the Fire.
Hindus pray to and worship different gods and goddesses or deities. The most fundamental of Hindu deities, is the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – Creator, Preserver and Destroyer respectively. They celebrate the festivals and perform “Pujas” or ceremonies and rituals to the particular god or deity. Hindus have many beliefs and practices that have been handed down by word of mouth and daily practice. Many of these deities are housed within ornate temples of unparalleled beauty and grandeur.