Digital Learning Commons: World Religions: Hinduism

Fast Facts

Polytheistic

Founded: between 2300 BCE and 1500 BCE

Origin: Indus Valley, Ancient India

Sacred Texts: The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and many others

Followers: Hindus

Current Population: 1.15 billion

Atman: inner self or soul; the spiritual life principle of the universe, especially when regarded as inherent in the real self of the individual.

Dharma: The eternal and inherent nature of reality, regarded in Hinduism as a cosmic law underlying right behavior and social order.

Karma: Universal law of cause and effect.

Moksha: Release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma.

Samsara: Continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (reincarnation).

Holy Trinity

Brahma: Creator god with four faces

Vishnu: Preserves and protects the universe

Shiva: Destroyer god

Other Important Deities

Ganesha: Remover of obstacles, god of new beginnings, success and wisdom

Kali: Goddess of time, creation, destruction and power

Krishna: God of compassion, tenderness and love

Lakshmi: Goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity

Saraswati: Goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning

Hinduism: Basic Beliefs
Overview provided by the United Religions Initiative (URI).
Hinduism
Easy to follow website that provides background information and history of Hinduism.
The Vedas
Background information on the Vedas, the religious texts which inform the religion of Hinduism.
The Hindu God Family Tree
A not-entirely authoritative breakdown on some of the many Hindu gods and goddesses, with an easy to follow along poster.
Hindu Concepts
Explains the Hindu concepts of Atman, Dharma, Varna, Karma, Samsara, Purushartha, Moksha, Brahman, Bhagavan and Ishvara.
Hindu Holy Days and Observances
Hinduism includes many communities that follow a range of calendars. Thus, believers may observe Hindu holy days and festivals at different times of the year. Observances generally follow lunar months and often fall on the new moon or the day after the moon phase.

The Holy Cities Of Hinduism
The Hindu religion recognizes seven Holy Cities commonly known as the Sapta Puri. The cities are Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Dvaraka and Ujjain.
List of UNESCO Hindu World Heritage Sites
From the long-spanning history of Hinduism, people's creativity has created several sites of wonder which are revered even today. Many of these works of marvel have been recognized internationally.