Overview
About how many people practice Hinduism today.
about 1.2 billion
These are the four “revealed” Hindu texts, including Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva.
Vedas
This country is where most Hindus live today
India
This festival of lights celebrates the victory of good over evil.
Diwali
The first Prime Minister of independent India and a central figure in Indian politics after Gandhi.
Jawaharlal Nehru
This term refers to a person’s true self or soul.
atman
This “remembered” Hindu text teaches about duty (dharma) and devotion (bhakti) and is part of the Mahabharata.
Bhagavad Gita
Hinduism is mainly practiced in these two countries, which hold the world’s largest Hindu populations.
India and Nepal
During this festival, people throw colored powders to welcome spring.
Holi
Hindu monk and philosopher is known for unifying and establishing Advaita Vedanta.
Adi Shankaracharya
Many followers describe Hinduism not just as a religion, but as this broader approach to daily life.
way of life
This Hindu epic tells the story of Rama and Sita and is considered a “remembered” text.
Ramayana
This ancient civilization area, located in what is now Pakistan and India, is where Hinduism first developed.
Indus River Valley
This festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.
Janmashtami
This leader used nonviolent resistance to help India gain independence from British rule.
Mahatma Gandhi
Hinduism follows this type of belief system, meaning worship of many deities.
polytheism
contains stories about gods, creation, and the universe, and is part of the Smṛti tradition.
Puranas
Varanasi (Kashi) is known as the city of what?
City of Temples
In Hindu traditions, this daily ritual involves prayer and offerings at home or in a temple.
Puja
This 19th-century saint was the guru of Swami Vivekananda and emphasized devotion to God.
Ramakrishna
This three-pronged symbol linked to Shiva represents creation, preservation, and destruction.
trishula
The Upanishads, part of the Śruti texts, focus on these three spiritual concepts in Hinduism.
the soul (Atman), karma, and moksha
This city on the Ganges River is one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites and is closely associated with Lord Shiva.
Varanasi (Kashi)
During worship, this ritual involves offering light to the deity, often with a small flame or lamp.
Aarti
Known for teaching self-inquiry (Who am I?) as a path to spiritual realization.
Sri Ramana Maharshi