Hinduism is the world's third most prolific religion afterChristianity andIslam. With a history spanning many thousands of years, it is the dominant religion inSouth Asia and has been very influential inSoutheast Asia, sharing its origin withBuddhism andJainism.
Hinduism has been spread to many countries by South Asian emigrants. While the faith has traditionally been less proselytic than many other religions, modern movements such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON; Hare Krishnas) have helped spark increased interest in Hinduism in Western countries since the 1960s.
Due to their superb architecture and cultural value, many Hindu temples have been designated as
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
| “ | Who really knows? Who can here proclaim it? Whence, whence this creation sprang? Gods came later, after the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen? | ” |
—Rigveda, 10.129.6-7 | ||
Hinduism is an extremely diverse religious and spiritual tradition. It has no founder, governing body or single holy book, although theVedas (Sanskrit: वेदVeda, lit. knowledge) are regarded by most Hindus to be the holiest and most authoritative religious texts. It is often referred to as not a religion but a way of life. The beginnings of Hinduism are at least as old as the Vedas, the earliest of which are estimated to date from approximately 1700 BCE, with traces of the religion found in the earlier Indus Valley Civilisation, beginning from 3300 BCE. Many scholars now believe that the Vedic mythology of Hinduism originally evolved from proto-Indo-European mythology, thus sharing a common origin with many mythologies of pre-Christian Europe, such as the Greek, Roman, Celtic, Slavic and Germanic ones. The Vedas and other sacred texts, including theUpanishads,Puranas, and theMahabharata andRamayana epics, are in the ancient and sacred language of Sanskrit.
Hinduism is a richly iconic religion, celebrating many gods and goddesses in the form of statues and paintings, and with music, dance and poetry. Most Hindus believe in a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, corresponding to the Hindu trinity ofBrahma, the creator,Vishnu, the preserver andShiva, the destroyer. Hindu gods are believed by many to be able to come to the mortal world in the form of avatars — incarnations in human or animal form who can also shape-shift. The most famous examples areRama andKrishna, two much-beloved avatars of Vishnu. The belief in avatars has also allowed some Hindus to adopt elements of other belief systems, for example by accepting theBuddha as an avatar of Vishnu. Many Hindus also believe that when the world has descended into complete evil and chaos, Vishnu will descend to Earth once more in the form of a new avatar riding a white horse and carrying a flaming sword known asKalki, during which he will defeat the forces of evil and restore justice and order to the world.
Many Hindu gods have consorts, withSaraswati as the consort of Brahma,Lakshmi as the consort of Vishnu, andParvati as the consort of Shiva. These consort goddesses also can come down to Earth as avatars, frequently as the wives of their respective husbands' avatars. Other deities that are venerated includeIndra, the god of thunder and lightning, and king of the gods;Agni, the god of fire; andGanesha, the elephant-faced god and son of Shiva. There is also a Hindu belief in the Brahman — the divine oneness — and therefore, some Hindus believe that all the gods and goddesses are manifestations of an overall oneness, and are monotheists.
Hindus, especially inIndia andNepal, have traditionally believed in a system of castes, which are essentially rather rigidly-defined social classes. The four main castes are theBrahmins, the highest caste which consisted of the priests, theKshatriyas, which consisted of the kings, warriors and other members of the nobility, theVaishyas, which consisted of the peasants, craftsmen and merchants, and theShudras at the bottom, which consisted of the servants of the three higher castes. There are also a substantial number of people outside the caste structure, literally outcastes or "Untouchables" (also known as thedalit), who were so low on the social order that they were shunned by people with a caste. One's station in life at birth is traditionally considered to be a product ofkarma, the actions and consequences of what a living thing did in a previous life. One's caste was hereditary and considered to be the karmic result of reward or punishment for actions in a previous life, and intermarriage between people of different castes was strictly forbidden. Those who broke the rules of their caste would be thrown out and become an outcaste. Some advances have been made including affirmative action, but while casteism has been outlawed by the Indian government, like many other long-standing traditions, caste-based practices continue.
Hinduism started in the Indian Subcontinent and spread to much of Southeast Asia during the reigns of the great Maurya, Gupta and Chola empires. It was prevalent in many powerful Southeast Asian empires and kingdoms for centuries, where it gave birth to some of the most beautiful and impressive temple complexes in the World. Nowadays, most of the population in formerly Hindu parts of Southeast Asia adheres to Islam, Buddhism or Christianity, though the Indonesian island ofBali and the ethnic Cham minority in centralVietnam remain majority-Hindu. However, vestiges of Hinduism continue to survive in the folk tales and arts of the region and in the syncretic beliefs of many Southeast Asians, including large numbers of Javanese people, who practice a mixed Animist/Hindu-Buddhist/Muslim belief system called Kejawen. Indonesia's national airline Garuda Indonesia was named after Garuda, Vishnu's mount in Hindu mythology, and Garuda is also featured in the coat-of-arms of both Indonesia and Thailand. In theMalacca sultanate, despite being a Muslim kingdom for most of its history, the chief of its navy was known as theLaksamana, whose title was derived fromLakshmana, Rama's younger brother, and one of the heroes who fought alongside Rama in the Ramayana. Today,Laksamana remains theIndonesian andMalay word for "Admiral" that is used by the Indonesian, Malaysian and Bruneian navies.
Starting in the 19th century, there was a great exodus of Hindus fromBritish India to other British colonies such asMalaya,Guyana,Trinidad,Fiji,Kenya,Uganda,South Africa,Burma,Hong Kong andMauritius, mostly to work as indentured servants or unskilled laborers. In the 20th and 21st centuries, many Hindus have immigrated from India, East Africa and the West Indies to theUnited Kingdom, theUnited States,Australia,Canada and other Western countries, and a very large number have travelled toDubai,Abu Dhabi,Kuwait and other Arab Gulf States to work. Today, the only countries with a Hindu majority areIndia,Nepal andMauritius. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the Hare Krishnas, were founded inNew York City in 1966 and have proselytized around the world, gaining converts to their brand of Hinduism. There is no country with Hinduism as its state religion, and all Hindu-majority countries are nominally secular, though there is the highly influentialHindutva movement that seeks to turn India into a Hindu theocracy.
The modern name of India isBharat in many Indian languages includingHindi, which was derived from the name of one of the great kings in the Mahabharata.
Many bodies of water are holy to Hindus, but above all is the great Ganges River of India, known in many northern Indian languages asGanga and itself considered a Goddess. Ablutions in the river, being cremated there, or simply being close to it are considered holy.
Hills and mountains are often considered holy. For example, inBali,Gunung Agung, the tall volcano, is regarded as the holiest place on the island.
The holiness of cows to Hindus is well-known around the world. Cows have the run of many streets throughout India, and most Hindus would never kill a cow for food but instead use the cow's milk and make dairy products with it, including ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, paneer (fresh cheese curd), buttermilk and a variety of desserts. Some fundamentalist Hindus even consider the life of a cow to be more important than the lives of their own family members. In Nepal, although the meat of domestic cows is not eaten, the meat of water buffaloes is part of Nepali cuisine.
Monkeys are often considered holy and identified with the monkey god,Hanuman, one of the heroes of the classic Ramayana epic, so do not be surprised if lots of monkeys are running free and looking to steal your sandwich when you visit a temple that honours Hanuman. Elephants are also revered animals for Hindus as they are closely identified with the godGanesha, and are also associated withAiravata, a white elephant (in the literal sense) who is the mount of the god Indra. Eagles are also often considered holy as they symboliseGaruda, Vishnu's mount. The mount of the popular goddessDurga is atiger orlion, with the Bengal tiger in particular also serving as the national animal of both India and Bangladesh due to this significance. Thecobra is another sacred animal due to its association withVasuki, the King of the Serpents, who is believed to be worn by the god Shiva around his neck.
For thousands of years Hindu people have used the Swastika as a symbol of peace that represents the Brahman (divine oneness) long before the Nazis twisted it into a symbol of evil. It is a very sacred symbol and is not meant to offend but instead to signify the universal connection of the entire Universe and all life in all its aspects, and especially energy. The Swastika is shared by Buddhists and Jains as a religious symbol.
Another very prominent symbol in Hinduism is the sacred soundOm (also spelt as Aum). Om refers to the oneness of the Atman (soul) and Brahman (ultimate reality and entirety of the universe). You will commonly hear the word chanted as part of mantras in temples and yoga schools. It is also common to see the Sanskrit inscription of this word.
There are many types of Hindu religious sites including:
Sanskrit is the original language of theVedas, Hinduism's principal religious texts, as well as well-known Hindu epics like theMahabharata andRamayana. It is no longer spoken natively by any significant sector of the Indian population, though it continues to be widely used as a liturgical language in many temples, and many Sanskrit words survive in the languages of South and Southeast Asia.
In addition to using the holy language, Sanskrit, Hindu temples tend to use the local language of the region when conducting their services. There are English signs at most popular Hindu temples around the world. Outside South Asia, the languages used in the temple are often based on the ethnic makeup of the community who go to the temple. For example in Western countries,Hindi may be spoken in North Indian-style temples whileTamil may be spoken in South Indian-style temples.
Because of the vastness, complexity and diversity of the religion, there are hundreds, if not thousands of Hindu holy sites in the world, mostly in South Asia. The destinations listed below are among the most notable but are only a small sample what you can experience as a traveller.
Sri Lanka was featured in the epic Ramayana, in which it was referred to as the island ofLanka, the location of the fortress of the main villain, Ravana. Ravana was said to have captured Rama's wife, Sita and imprisoned her in his fortress, prompting Rama's forces to mount an invasion of Lanka to rescue her.
Although Tibet is predominantly Buddhist today and does not have a significant Hindu community, it holds great spiritual importance for Hindus, who believe that Vishnu's tenth avatar Kalki will be born in a hidden village in the mountains of Tibet called Shambhala during the end times.
,Chinatown – Singapore's oldest and most impressive Hindu temple is, perhaps surprisingly, located here and not in Little India. Particularly notable for its impressive and colourful gopuram on top of the main entrance. The annual Thimithi fire walking ceremony is held here.,Tank Road – Decicated to Murugan and the end point of the annual Thaipusam procession.,Katong – A 1850s temple dedicated to Ganesha that was constructed by the Sri Lankan Tamil community – A 1850 temple dedicated to Shiva located inGeylang. Notable for its Sivaratri feast. – A 10th-century Khmer temple dedicated to Shiva as a symbol of Mount Kailash. The temple has many carved reliefs in its sanctuary.
,New Jersey — the second-largest Hindu temple in the world and the largest outside Asia.
In addition to the sculptures you can see in temple complexes, sculptures, paintings and drawings of Hindu deities and scenes from mythological tales are commonly found in the palaces ofmaharajas (Hindu kings and emperors), buildings and houses where a large Hindu community is present and in museums around the world. All forms of visual art are intertwined with Hindu cultural traditions; Hindu motifs can be seen in diverse art forms including embroidery, ceramics and jewellery.
A unique art form to the Indian subcontinent most often practised during Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Onam israngoli, where decorative and geometric patterns are created on floors from coloured powder, flower petals and pebbles. Rangoli is usually made near the entrance of homes after cleaning the area and is believed to welcome in good luck and prosperity to the household.
There are many different Hindu festivals, some celebrated only in particular regions or only by devotees of a particular Hindu deity. In some predominantly Hindu areas the main festivals of other religions, such as Christmas or Eid al-Fitr, are also public holidays and are at least respected if not celebrated.
The diversity of Hinduism means there are very few festivals, if any at all, celebrated by every devotee. However there are festivals that are celebrated or at least recognised by the vast majority of Hindus to be very significant.
Diwali, also known asDeepavali, is the most important festival in Hinduism, and celebrated by Hindus the world over in late October or early November each year, at the dark of the moon in the Hindu month of Kartika; both the Sikh and Jain religions also have major festivals on the same day. The festival lasts five days in most parts of India. It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. The main deity involved is Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity. Many lanterns are lit, both in homes and around temples. Many people buy new clothes for the occasion. During the night in the big cities, fireworks will go off in every street and last for hours. There are many fine photo opportunities for travellers.
Dussehra commemorates the death of demon Ravana at the hands of Rama, and is arguably the most important moment in the Ramayana epic tale. Throughout the Hindu world, giant effigies of Ravana are burnt to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.
Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated at the full moon before the spring equinox. The eve of Holi typically has bonfires, music and dancing. On the day itself, people paint each other with bright colours; dry powdered paints, buckets of liquid and water pistols are all used. Often plain white cotton garments are worn, to avoid messing up better clothes. It can get rather raucous, though some respect is shown; for example the Buddhist monks at Bodhgaya can walk through a crowd without being painted. Tourists, however, are not exempt— in fact, some of the crowd may particularly enjoy painting visitors. Tourists should dress with this in mind.
Maha Shivaratri, meaning "the great night of Shiva", is celebrated annually in honor of the god Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvati. It falls in the month of Maagh corresponding with January/February in the Gregorian calendar. Best places to attend Mahashivrati areJunagadh (Gujarat),Mandi (Himachal Pradesh),Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), andSrikalahasti (Andhra Pradesh).
Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival falling on the same date in the Gregorian calendar every year: 14 January. It's celebrated almost everywhere inIndia andNepal. Makar Sankranti is known as Maghi inPunjab, Thai Pongal inTamil Nadu, Uttarayana inGujarat andRajasthan, and Lohri inHaryana andHimachal Pradesh.
Bonalu is a Telugu/Hindu festival celebrated for a Mother Goddess inHyderabad and other parts ofTelangana. It falls in the month of Ashada Masam, in July/August. Participants in the Bonalu festival bear the deity on their head. Some trancing women dance while drummers give them the rhythm in a carnival-like atmosphere.
Chhath Puja, dedicated to Sun God Surya, is unique toMuzaffarpur (Bihar),Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), and in some parts ofUttar Pradesh andNepal (Kathmandu,Janakpur,Malangawa).
Navratri, meaning "nine nights" is a major festival in honor of the deity Durga, an incarnation of the mother goddess Mahadevi, held four times a year all over India. Traditional Garba dances are performed during the festival inGujarat's main cities. Navratri is one of the most significant festivals amongPunjabi andJammu Hindus. Many devotees fast for up to seven days and on the eighth day perform Kanjak Puja, where young girls representing Durga are venerated and worshipped.
Thaipusam or Kavadi is a festival in honor of Murugan, the Tamil God of War. Kavadi, literally meaning "sacrifice at every step" in Tamil, is a dance performed by the devotees during the festival. You can witness Thaipusam atPalani, where thousands of devotees flock to attend Kavadi. Outside ofTamil Nadu, Thaipusam celebrations take place inMauritius;Batu Caves, a few km away fromKuala Lumpur; andSingapore.
Thimithi, the Tamil fire walking festival celebrated just before Diwali in honour of the goddess Draupati, who is featured in the Mahabharata. During the festival, male devotees walk on burning coals to fulfil their vows made to the goddess in exchange for her blessing. In India, you can watch Thimithi at numerous villages throughout Tamil Nadu, particularly the ones with Draupati as their patron goddess. Also celebrated by the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia and Singapore.
Ratha Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, commemorates the deity Jagannath, regarded to be the Lord of the Universe. The most famous celebration of the festival is held every year inPuri,Odisha.
Nyepi, or the Hindu New Year, is the most important festival inBali, where Diwali is not celebrated. On this day, all Balinese Hindus are required to refrain from all forms of entertainment, avoid lighting fires and observe a code of silence (which means no talking) for the entire day, as this is believed to be necessary to fool the evil spirits into thinking that the island is deserted. This means that the entire island, including the airport and all tourist facilities, shuts down for the entire day, and a curfew is imposed, so you will be confined to your hotel. That said, many rituals are performed on the days leading up to, and the days immediately after this day, and these are a great way for tourists to experience the local culture.
Galungan is the Balinese equivalent of Diwali, marking the triumph of good over evil, albeit celebrated on a different day. During this period, the Balinese believe that the spirits of their dead ancestors return to the world of the living, and offerings of food are made in order to appease them. You will seepenjor, bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end, lining the streets of Bali.
Traditional South and Southeast Asian performing arts often draw their stories from Hindu mythology, with one of the most highly regarded works of Indian literature being the playShakuntala by the Gupta-era poet Kalidasa, which was adapted from a story in the Mahabharata. The Ramayana is particular has been a popular source of inspiration for many works, and numerous local adaptations of the Ramayana are an integral part of the literary traditions of numerous Southeast Asian countries. Many traditional Southeast Asian performing arts also draw their inspiration from the Ramayana, even in places that are today nominally Buddhist, Muslim or Christian. Recognising its popularity and cultural significance, theIndian Council for Cultural Relations holds an annualInternational Ramayana Festival, where various local adaptions of the Ramayana from South and Southeast Asia are performed.
Traditional forms of Hindu and Hindu-derived religious performance include:
Many ashrams, temples and other Hindu organizations teachyoga andmeditation. Many foreigners including the Beatles have visited India to study these, but there are also many places that offer such classes outside of Hindu-majority areas. The wordOm (ॐ), used by millions of people as a mantra (sound) to aid in meditation, is an ancient Sanskrit word that has many meanings, including that of the divine oneness of all. The beginnings of yoga date back to at least the 5th century BCE, and while the knowledge and practice of yoga has spread far beyond the Hindu community, its original context was Hindu.
Hindu iconography in the form ofmurtis (statues and sculptures), paintings and drawings of various deities or mythological events are popular items that can be bought during visits to Hindu pilgrimage sites. There are often several stalls set up near major temples selling such items. Other objects for sale include garlands, incense sticks anddiya oil lamps, all of which are used duringpuja rituals, andjapamala prayer beads, which are used when chanting mantras.
The Hindu corpus is vast and religious texts are another item to buy. The original texts of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Ramayana and Mahabharata in Sanskrit as well as translations and interpretations in modern South Asian languages including English are available throughout India, Nepal and other regions with significant Hindu populations. The largest publisher of Hindu religious texts is the Gita Press, which has over 20 branches in India but is headquartered inGorakhpur.
The cow is a holy animal in Hinduism, and killing a cow is regarded as sacrilegious. Accordingly, Hindus are forbidden from eating beef, though this rule is interpreted somewhat loosely by Nepali Hindus, who eat the meat of water buffaloes (but not domestic cows). Hindus from certain groups and regions including most orthodox Brahmins are vegetarian. Vegetarianism in a Hindu context generally means not consuming meats and eggs but allows for the consumption of dairy. The high consumption and reliance on milk and dairy products is one of the reasons why Hindus hold the cow in great esteem.
Some Hindu temples serve delicious vegetarian food at a low price. The holy food served at temples is calledPrasad/Prashad and varies according to the festival and season. There are usually signature dishes for each major festival. There are often special "fasting" dishes served, which omit a particular food group. The type of fasting food again depends on the festival and reason for the fast.
Most major airlines provide both Hindu vegetarian and Hindu non-vegetarian special meal options on their flights, though these generally have to be requested in advance.
Bhang, a drink made from the cannabis plant, milk, spices and sugar is fervently consumed in Northern India and Nepal during the Holi festival (February-March). Devotees often chant holy prayers before drinking the beverage and entering into a dreamlike, spiritual state. Note that bhang is illegal in any country or jurisdiction wherecannabis is prohibited, as marijuana is an integral ingredient of the recipe.
Some Hindu sects forbid the consumption of alcohol, while the Hare Krishnas forbid the consumption of tea, coffee, Coca Cola and any other caffeine-containing drinks.
There are many animals considered holy in Hinduism, including cows, monkeys and elephants. Often these animals are allowed to roam around freely around temples. Other animals such as stray dogs — and in rural areas, goats — are also frequently spotted. While fascinating, it is best not to feed or grab the attention of the animals. Watch out for monkeys and bulls in particular. They can attack you when you least expect it.
Incense and ceremonies involving fire are a common feature of Hindu rituals. The smoke and smell will be uncomfortable for some and can pose a risk to people with respiratory issues such as asthma.
The consumption of beef isillegal in Nepal and some states of India. Non-Hindus are also known to have been lynched for eating beef by fundamentalist Hindu mobs, who see it as their sacred duty to protect cows even if it is at the cost of human life.
Visitors to Hindu temples are required to take their shoes off before entering. Do not touch or climb onto the statues without permission. It is a safe option to dress conservatively when visiting, though the suitable dress standards will vary from region to region. Generally, the dress standards ofSouthern India andBali are more liberal than those ofNorthern India, though visitors to Balinese temples are required to wear a sarong and a sash. Men and women should avoid very explicit public displays of affection. In some temples, men and women are required to sit in separate areas.
Many prominent temples restrict photography within the premises, with some even disallow carrying any electronic device with you, including cameras, mobile phones, laptops, smart watches etc. They also prohibit bags, belts, leather products, sharp objects etc. Therefore, it is wise to ask the locals if there are any lockers near the temple so that you can keep the prohibited items away from potential thieves. Even if the temple does not have any restrictions on electronic devices, take extra caution on photographing the deity and think about the sentiment of the locals.
Many orthodox Hindu temples forbid entry to people of low castes and women during their menstrual period, and some forbid entry to non-Hindus. There are also a few temples that forbid entry to all women.
The head is considered to be the holiest part of the body, and touching somebody else's head, even that of young children, is considered to be disrespectful and offensive to Hindus.
The left hand is considered unclean in Hinduism, so make sure you use only your right hand when handling sacred objects and performing religious rituals.
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