Hinduism Facts...

The term ‘Hinduism’ is really a term used by travellers to India in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe the different but related religious ideas, cultures and philosophies which they found there.

It has been suggested that it is more accurate to speak of “Hinduisms” rather than a single tradition. Hindu religious leaders prefer to use the term Sanatana Dharma (the universal law of order – unity in diversity) instead of Hinduism. (The word ‘Hindu’ stems from the Sanskrit term to describe India – Sapta Sindhu [pronounced Hapta Hindu] – the land of seven great rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Godavari, Indus, Narmada, and Cauvery.)

The Hindu traditions are believed to have come to India through the arrival in India of the Aryans. They came from the west around 1700-1500 BCE, though some dispute this and point to earlier traditions native to the Indus Valley.

The oldest of the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, were written in the period between 1500 and 500 BCE, known as the Vedic Period.

The origins of the Om (sometimes given as Aum) symbol are obscure but the sound is believed to be an aspect of the creation of the cosmos.

Another significant Hindu symbol is the swastika, which is found all over Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography in India and Nepal. It is seen as pointing in all four directions (North, East, South and West) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus and is regularly used to decorate all sorts of items to do with Hindu culture. (The symbol is found widely in the ancient world but was taken over by the Nazis in the 1920s as a symbol of white supremacy.

Since the 1830s many Hindus have migrated from India to other parts of the world – often to work on plantations in the Caribbean, eastern and southern Africa and also to parts of the Pacific.

Since the Second World War (and following Indian independence) many have also migrated to Britain, Ireland and North America, where there are now substantial Hindu communities.

Hindu temples range from the small and simple to the very grand and elaborately decorated, outside as well as inside. Each temple has at least one priest who looks after the images of the gods and leads the prayers.

People may come to worship individually or in groups. Group worship normally involves the singing of hymns from the Vedas, saying prayers and lighting a small fire, and waving a live flame over the images of the gods.

The popular festival of Diwali, which is also celebrated by Sikhs, marks the start of the New Year (in October or November) for many Hindus.

The Gayatri Mantra from the Rig Veda (which altogether contains over one thousand poems) is used by many Hindus in morning worship:

“We meditate on the most excellent splendour of the Creator.

May we be guided and inspired by his wisdom.”

The Upanishads (meaning ‘sit down near’ or ‘lessons’) are the last part of each Veda. They were written around 600 BCE and introduced the idea of reincarnation. People used to sit down near wise teachers and learn from them.

The Sutras (meaning ‘threads’) are short sayings and verses based on the Vedas and were written between 500 and 100 BCE.

There are also several famous epic spiritual poems, best known of which are the Ramayana which tells the story of Prince Rama (written around 100 BCE and 100 CE) and the Bhagavad-gita (the Song of God) written around 250 CE.