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Hinduism in India
Some 820 million people in India are Hindu – 82 per cent of the population. Yet it is an elusive religion, difficult for non-Hindus to even begin to understand. Hindusim has no single sacred text, no dogma, no single prophet. It demands no formal congregational worship, going to the temple, reading the abstract philosophy or following specific rituals. Ideas of rebirth and the apparent plethora of deities add to the confusion. Yet, Hinduism provides a clear pattern for life, with four clear aims towards achieving salvation: dharma (virtue, living the right way), artha (wealth, achieved in the right way), karma (giving and receiving love and friendship), and, if these three are correctly followed, moksha (the final release from the cycle of rebirth). To see Hindusim in India at its most fervent, visit one of the Seven Sacred Cities such as Varanasi, or a major pilgrimage temple such as Tirupati. |
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