The most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce as sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. Hinduism 9 interesting facts you should know asia highlights. The word hindu is derived from word sindhu, the local name of a river called indus which has disappeared now. Thus, their beliefs and rituals formed the hindu religion, and their vedas became the most sacred hindu scriptures. The collection of verses and hymns contains revelations received by ancient saints and sages. The hindu faith draws on a number of sacred texts and there is no standard set of beliefs, so it is a religion which is followed in different ways by different groups of people. Hinduism facts tell us that nearly 80% of indias population consider themselves to be hindus. The most mind boggling thing about hinduism is the fact that atheism is a part of hinduism.
Hinduism is unique in that its not a single religion but a compilation of. First, lets distinguish between two types of hindu literature. Every hindu book is written in sanskrit, and it is. Hindus believe in reincarnation, which means that the soul is eternal and is constantly reborn in one form or another. Interesting facts about bhagavad gita hinduism facts. The swastika curve is the name given by cundy and rollett to the quartic plane curve with the cartesian equation. Regardless of which faith you belong to atheism included, most of the major religions actually preach non violence, though thats not always noticed by a. Facts about the hindu religion for your spiritual journey to. Beliefs and practices is designed mainly for children of all ages of reading abilities for all nationalities and religious beliefs.
Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma. Om is the most sacred syllable, symbol and mantra in hinduism. So far, we have seen some common hinduism facts, but now we will have a look at some interesting hinduism facts. Of all the basic books on hinduism, this rather thin volume of 160 pages is the most balanced introduction to the religion. According to me, these are some of the points that have awestruck me in the basic concept of hinduism. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god. Although the name hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by british writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly.
Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. The vedas, the best known hindu sacred texts, are some of the earliest religious texts in existence. Hinduism hinduism fast facts and introduction religionfacts. We are trying to list out here as many hindu scriptures and books as possible.
But they are not definite sects, person of one sect may follow the philosophy of the other sect. The worlds 3rd largest religion closely following christianity and islam is hinduism. It is a part of mahabharata and was narrated by lord krishna to arjuna. The rig veda is an ancient text written in sanskrit. Unlike other major religions, hinduism doesnt consider the pursuit of wealth as. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Interesting facts about hinduism the unkown philosophy. They have words called mantras which are chanted at the religious ceremonies. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually. Smriti literature is considered less authoritative than sruti. A murti is a sacred stautue of god, or a god or goddess. Did you know that hinduism is the worlds third largest religion.
Yom kippur is one of the holiest days of the year for jews. Hinduism is generally regarded as the worlds oldest organized religion. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice. Various seals and artifacts found at indus valley civilization harappa civilization prove that the practices of harappa people were similar to that of hinduism today. When it comes to hinduism, it is believed to be the oldest religion in the world, where its origin occurs before history was ever recorded. Most of us are aware about the teachings of bhagavad gita, but there are some interesting facts about bhagavad gita, which you would be surprised to know about. They focus on the origins of the religion and the hindus belief in one god which takes multiple forms. Hinduism, with about one billion followers is the worlds third largest religion, after christianity and islam. Sruti consists of four vedas, upanishads, brahmanas, aranyakas, and bhagavadgita while smriti consists of manu smriti, 18 puranas, ramayana, and mahabharata and other hindu holy books. Hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river.
The broad term hinduism encompasses a wide variety of traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. There was a great influence from the aryan culture in india, gradually when they settled in india. Buddhism facts show that buddhists account for about 6% of the worlds population, making this the 4th biggest in terms of followers religion in the world, following christianity with 2 billion followers, islam with 1. Apr 03, 20 that is why there are many holy books in hinduism. Here are the top 36 cool and interesting facts about hinduism. The religion has evolved throughout the years and will continue to do so. If there is a book describing the several ways by which one can converse with god, then theres another book relating science with religion holy science and explaining the secrets of living a healthy, happy and peaceful life.
The ramayana are the hindu holy scriptures containing a story about how good will always triumph over evil. As sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. Most of hinduisms sacred texts were written in sanskrit in ancient times. Hinduism facts explain this unique religion s beliefs, practices and history. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion and has the third largest following of all modern organised religions. Ancient hindus texts are the foundations of moral codes, laws, philosophical viewpoints.
Hinduism is the thirdlargest religion behind christianity and islam. This is because it grew out of cultural and religious changes in india. It is perhaps the best book for someone who has no prior knowledge of the religion, a stable stepping stone for the student of religious studies, and an eyeopener for the practicing hindu. Hinduism believes in a circular rather than a linear concept of time. It claims about 950 million followers, thats approximately 14 percent of the worlds population. This is also used in other religions like jainism, buddhism, and sikhism. Here are some facts about hinduism, the main religion of the indian subcontinent, and one of the most popular religions worldwide. The religious scriptures are not followed word to word. Hinduism is over 4,000 years old, making it one of the worlds oldest religions. Worldwide, there are 950 million hindus, equivalent to about 15% of the worlds population. Om is chanted independently or just before every mantra and it is thought to be the sound of the brahman or the universe. Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world, the mother of all languages.
The word hindu originates from the indian indus river. Hinduism is not based on a strict set of rules, it is not based on a single holy book, and it wasnt founded. Most forms of hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as brahman, but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Although hindus believe in one god, brahman, the hindu faith has different gods that represent. Though all sects worship all gods primary importance is mostly given to ones own sect.
Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. If you are considering visiting india for spiritual purposes then here are some facts about the hindu religion you might find useful on your spiritual journey. Facts about hindu religion hinduism factshinduism facts. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Hinduism or what we call hindu dharma isnt the actual name for this religion. The torah is the sacred writing holy book for which religion. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Art by lama thanka painting school hinduism is not a religion.
Interesting facts about hinduism hindu trinity brahma vishnu and maheswar. Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework. Demographically, hinduism is the worlds 3rd largest religion, after christianity and islam. Regardless of which religion you practice, most of the major religions preach peace and nonviolence, so does hinduism. For instance, hinduism is not technically a religion. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. The vedas are the four holiest books of the hindu religion. The most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce. Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework help. And did you know hindus dont believe in millions of gods. It is also interesting to note that if the group of. Hinduism is the worlds oldest known religion and originally known as sanatana dharma, with its roots going back to 10,000 years and hindu scriptures dating back to 7000 bc here are few interesting facts about hinduism. Dating back to over 4,000 years ago, hinduism is the worlds oldest religion.
It began about 5000 years ago, linked to the people who lived near to the indus river in about 2500 bc. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. No one knows or cares to know who started hinduism. Here are some interesting and lesserknown facts about hinduism. The first lawmaker, manu, was a hindu and manu smriti was the first book on law in the world. Rig veda is the oldest known book in the world with its contents dating back to 7000 b. However, smruti texts often carry almost as much authority as sruti. I hope that from this short introduction to the holy books of hinduism it is apparent that hindus consider a great variety of literature important, and that this literature is as diverse and complex as it is beautiful.
Scholars describe hinduism as the product of religious development in india that spans nearly 4,000 years, making it perhaps the oldest surviving world religion. The most interesting facts about hinduism speaking tree. We are trying to list out here as many hindu scriptures and books. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Aug 20, 2016 20 interesting facts about the sacred vedas 3. Yoga, pranayama, meditation, vastu, jyotish, tantra. There are more than one billion followers of hinduism in the world today. Hinduism is not based on a strict set of rules, it is not based on a single holy book, and it wasnt founded by one individual. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world. Hindus hold the belief of the four vedas high in their mind. The date is uncertain, but most experts date it back to 1500 years b. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas.
They are written in an old indian language called sanskrit. For these reasons hinduism is referred as way of life or a family of religions. They include the vedas, which are the oldest religious texts in hinduism. Shruti refers to the vedas, the earliest hindu scriptures, which are regarded as the eternal truths. Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in the world, after christianity and islam. However, it is not a religion of the same kind as the other two main religions. The body of sacred literature in hinduism is vast and diverse enough to write volumes on. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. Sep 21, 2014 hinduism basics for those travelling to india on a spiritual mission.
Before vedas were documented in written form, knowledge used to be transferred verbally. Brahman is the eternal origin, who is responsible for the creation of the universe. Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Hindu customs and traditions, culture, indiahinduism facts. Hinduism has been explained with its origins, beliefs, way of life, sacred texts, gods and goddesses, holiest things, interesting facts and hinduism. The hindu building for communal worship is called mandir hindu temple. The more you know about something, the better, especially in the case of religion.
It is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices. The rig veda is the oldest known book in the world. List of world religions and founders, religious books, place. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing innumerable holy books. Which religious book has true facts, the quran or hindus. This blog tells us about the facts about the hindu religion and mythology. Most interesting facts about hinduism sanatana dharma.
The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. For hindus, the veda is a symbol of unchallenged authority and. In life we are confronted with spiritual issue for which there is no answer in science, such as what should be the family structure or why we we love our forefathers too much, and what happens a. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. Hinduism is not a religion but it is a set of hundreds of different philosophical thoughts and lifestyles. The collection of verses and hymns contains revelations received by ancient saints and. Although they were finally written down in 1,500 bce. C in the language of sanskrit, an ancient indoeuropean language. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture. The sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Sruti scriptures are considered divinely inspired and fully authoritative for belief and practice, while smruti are recognized as the products of the minds of the great sages.
Holy books of hinduism there are many sacred texts of hindus but most valuable and primary texts are vedas, composed around 1500 bce in the sanskrit language. Jews cannot eat animals that do not have split hooves and do not chew their cud. Its the oldest book known in the world, and therefore, hinduism is. They are believed to be one of the oldest books ever made by mankind. Religious books are about guidance, not about facts. Although, hinduism originated in india, its presence can be felt all over the world and over the centuries has been a major influence in modern thinking. More than 1 billion people consider themselves hindus, and 85% of all hindus live in india. This is considered the most ancient scripture throughout the world. The rig veda is the oldest known book in the world the rig veda is an ancient text written in sanskrit.
There are many sacred texts of hindus but most valuable and primary texts are vedas, composed around 1500 bce in the sanskrit language. Hinduism holy books hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. What is the most amazing fact in hindu religious books like vedas. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. For example mediating figure that resembles lord shiva, a discovery of swastika, mother goddess seal and. All the ancient scriptures of hinduism are written in sanskrit. Lord brahma, lord vishnu, and lord shiva are the main deities in hinduism. This is also one of the interesting facts about hinduism. Hinduism is a very old religion from india that is still practiced today.
The institution of marriage was founded and put forth in practice by hindus. What are the most interesting facts about hinduism. A further 30 million hindus live outside of india in neighboring countries. It was one of the first religions that had the idea of reincarnation that people can be born again after death, karma one event. As hinduism is the oldest religion on the earth, there are a lot of hindu customs and traditions observed in india. Aug 25, 2019 the bhagavad gita is one of the most important books of hindus. Some customs are so important for the people that sometimes, they sacrifice their lives for them. Here are 25 interesting facts about hinduism that you probably didnt know before. Hinduism, with about one billion followers is the world s third largest religion, after christianity and islam. The earliest documents on hinduism date back to 5,500 bce. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and. The fact is, hinduism is a complex religion even to those who are born hindus. Here, i will give only a brief introduction to the holy books of hinduism. However, the holy books in hinduism are the basis on which we have evolved our culture and way of.
The sacred texts that are definitively associated with hinduism are all ancient. Let us check top 5 interesting and less known facts about hinduism. This book covers a complex religion in simple questions and answers. Hindus believe that the soul can be reincarnated, undergoing a cycle of rebirth. Hinduism is the practices of a variety of different religious groups which come out of india.
Feb 18, 2017 the most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce as sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. Hindus believe their religion has no identifiable beginning or end and, as such. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth governed by individuals karma. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. The temples are dedicated to different gods and are the focus of religious life. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. Customs and traditions have always been an important part of every religion and culture. It was one of the first religions that had the idea of reincarnation that. Most interesting facts about hinduism you may not know. Aug 05, 2016 hinduism is the oldest religion of the world. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b.
So there are many facts and hidden truths about the hindu religion and festivals. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. Most of hinduism s sacred texts were written in sanskrit in ancient times. It was a lifestyle that flourished in ancient indian subcontinent thousands of years ago, which later took the form of what is known today as hinduism. The facts also cover some of the main beliefs of hinduism, including karma and reincarnation. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. The three most important hindu gods forms of brahman are.