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Hinduism
Demographics
Hinduism
• The 3rd largest religion in the world
– Approximately 1 billion people are Hindu
– 14% of the world’s population
Symbol
Hinduism in the world
• Practiced mostly in South Asia:
– India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Hinduism
• 6,000 years old
– The oldest “living” religion in the world
Symbol
Hinduism
• Hinduism does not have one single founder
– It is a combination of Dravidian (People from
India) beliefs and Aryan beliefs that merged
together over time
• The Aryans brought several fundamental
beliefs to India:
1)The belief in many gods and that these gods
lived in nature
2)The Vedas are sacred texts (similar to the Bible)
• The Vedas is the holy book of Hinduism
– Written in Sanskrit
Hinduism
• Brahman- Spiritual power that created and
controls the universe
• Monotheistic and Polytheistic beliefs
– Believe in one “Universal Spirit”
– Believe that spirit is made up of many parts (many
different gods)
– Hindus believe all life is connected and should be
respected
Words to Watch
• Reincarnation – the belief that the soul
passes from one body to the next (based on
karma)
• Karma - Law of action and reaction
– If you do good, expect good things to happen
– If you do bad, expect bad things to happen
Your own researchUsing online sources, find the answers
to the questions below
9) Where do Hindus worship?
10) What are the major holidays Hindus
celebrate?
Extra CreditYou have the opportunity to earn extra
points by doing extra research
Write your answers on an extra sheet of paper
and include them in your Religions Encyclopedia
when you turn it in.
You can earn up to 10 points of extra
credit on a formal assignment
Possible extra credit questions:
-What is the largest Hindu temple in the world?
-How many Hindus live in the United States?
-What is the largest Hindu temple in the U.S.?
-Why is there a significant Hindu population in the
northeastern part of South America?
-Why do Hindus believe in millions of gods?
-Who are some famous Hindu followers?
*You can come up with similar questions and research
your answers