Hinduism is one of the oldest religions. It originated in India more than five thousand years ago. It is the third largest religion in the world. There are more than 660 million Hindus living on earth. Most Hindus live in India and other countries in Asia, but also in South Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands and England. Within Hinduism, Hindus have certain rules. Sanskrit is a sacred language for the Hindus. The Hindu calendar does not calculate in days, but in lunar months. A One month year is eleven days shorter than our year. That is why an intercalary month is added after a while.
Different Gods
The Hindus believe in a god. That God has many different forms and names. An example: God as creator is called Brahman. He is depicted with four heads. A wind direction for each head. So one for the east, one for the west, north and south. God as power is Vishnu. He ensures that there will be peace on earth again. And god as destroyer is called Shiva. He rules over life and death and creates new life when he dances. Hindus believe that the soul enters another body after death. The idea that people are reborn after death is called reincarnation. Those who have lived well are reborn into a better person. You can be born not only in a human being, but also in an animal.
Holy books
The holy books of the Hindus are called Vedas. The oldest Vedas are four thousand years old, even older than the Bible. It contains hymns describing creation and other stories about history. Hindus believe that God sometimes takes a human body and comes to earth. That’s called incarnation. Krishna and Rama are two people in whom God incarnated for a while to live on earth. There are plays and films that are very old about Krishna and Rama and about the different forms of God.
No meat
Most Hindus try to bathe a few times a day to keep themselves clean. If there is a party or they go to a temple, they also wash. They also have rules: they must control themselves, they must not steal and they must never kill anyone. They believe that they should not hurt other beings, even if they have to get food themselves. Most Hindus do not eat meat, because they believe that everyone should continue to live. Some Hindus eat eggs, fish and birds, but do not eat cow meat. They also do not use food that has come into contact with beef and the Hindus do not drink alcohol. They eat at regular times. Hindus can decide for themselves how long and when they eat.
Cabinets
Most Hindus believe that there is little you can do to change most things. They believe that you can divide people into castes. These are groups to which you belong from birth. Each group has its own place in a fixed ranking within a larger whole. There are four large closets. The highest caste includes the priests or Brahmins, followed by the warriors, the farmers and the craftsmen and finally the servants. There are also two groups that do not belong to any caste. These are the so-called untouchables and pariahs. Everyone must stay within their caste. They are obliged to marry in their own caste, and also to eat food in their own caste, which is usually prepared by someone from that caste.
Sacrifice
Almost every day in the life of the Hindus has something festive. Prayers are said at least twice a day. Sacrifices are made during these prayers. When they go to pray they go to temples. Hindus also go there when they have to meditate or make offerings. Water, fire, light and flowers are sacrificed to images of the Gods. They can take some of the food home or distribute it among the poor. The services are led by the priest or pandit. They also arrange the religious festivals. Hindus usually sing with an entire orchestra in a temple.
Children
From birth to death, Hindus celebrate rituals and festivals. After birth, the priest whispers sacred texts into the baby’s ear. When a baby is twelve days old, the baby is given a name that is associated with a solemn celebration. On certain days a party is held in honor of that child. For example, when the child gets the first bite of solid food, when he or she gets the first haircut or when they get married. The boy receives a mantra from his father, which is a sacred text or formula.
To bury
The Hindus burn their dead. They do this during a solemn celebration. The body must be cleansed by fire and returned to the primordial elements of which it consists: these are earth, fire, water, air and ether (= the high sky where the Gods and the stars are located). Only then does the soul have a chance to enter nirvana. Nirvana is a state of complete tranquility because the fire of the passions is completely extinguished.
Usually people are first buried temporarily and then, if there is enough money for a party, exhumed again. The corpse is then cremated or incinerated on a bamboo tower or in a beautifully decorated coffin in the shape of an animal. After the combustion, the ashes and charred bones are collected together. If possible, the Hindus scatter the ashes over the Ganges River. If that is not possible, the ashes are scattered in the sea that is connected to the Ganges.
Diwali or festival of lights
With the Diwali or festival of lights at the beginning of autumn, the Hindus celebrate the victory of light over darkness. The houses are then cleaned and repainted. The women paint signs on the entrance with red paint. Often the sign of the two feet of Laksmi, the wife of Vishnu, returns.
The girls and women also smear their hands with henna paint. Children often visit houses to say pious wishes and receive candy. This festival is also celebrated in Western Europe, including in the park. Fireworks are also set off.
Holi celebration
The Hindus celebrate approximately 400 festivals throughout the year. For example, pilgrimages are held to holy temples. A beautiful festival is the Holi festival, a two-day festival that is celebrated in the spring by the Hindus in Western Europe. All children throw balloons filled with powder and colored watercolor. A large bonfire is lit, and a pole with a witch on it is placed in the middle.