Hinduism
History - Caste system
Beliefs
Concept of God
Symbols
Worship
Holidays
Hindu society was divided into four castes
The highest class, the Brahmins (priests), were concerned with assisting people with worship, called puja, and with remembering and passing on the sacred texts.
The second caste, Kshatiyas, was made up of soldiers and nobles.
The next caste, made up of farmers, merchants, and craftspeople, was called the Vaishyas.
The Shudras made up caste of servants and laborers.
A fifth caste, sometimes called the untouchables, consisted of people outside all the other castes, who did the dirtiest jobs.
Hindus believed that people were born into a certain caste because of their karma from their past life, and they remained a member of that caste their whole life, and did not associate with members of other castes. The untouchables caste has been officially abolished, but it still exists unofficially in some places, especially in rural areas.
There is not a set creed or system of beliefs which one must adhere to in order to be a Hindu.
Hindus believe that when people die, they come back to earth again in a process called reincarnation.
A person's good or bad behavior, called karma, during their lifetime influences status in their next life. As a reward for good behavior, they might be reborn into a higher caste. As a punishment for bad behavior, trey could be reborn as an animal.
This cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is catted samsara. This cycle finally ends when a person achieves moksha, the final stage of purity attained by repeated good deeds
Hindus also believe that there are four stages of life that a person should pass through. They are: a student, a householder, a forest hermit, and a wandering holy man.
Hindus believe that certain animals are sacred. The most important of these is the cow.
Most Hindus believe that is one creator-god, Brahma, who is represented by thousands of other gods and goddesses. The three most popular are Brahma himself, Vishnu, the preserver, snd Shiva, the destroyer.
Hindus also believe that special places can be gods and goddesses. The Ganges River is worshipped as a goddess.
The written form of tie sacred sound or aum is often used as a symbol for Hinduism.
Gods and goddesses are represented in pictures and in statues or sculptures. They are often shown to have many faces or arms, indicating their special qualities.
Hindus may worship at a temple or at a special shrine in their homes. They worship individuality instead of in large groups or congregations. Hindus also consider dharma, behaving in a good or ethical way, to be an act of worship.
Some Hindu temples are in caves, which represent inner peace. Others have tall towers, which represent mountains. The temple is believed to be a crossing place, a sacred space where gods can cross between earth and heaven.
A Hindu temple is usually dedicated to a particular god, who is represented by a statue in a special shrine room inside the temple. Only Brahmin priests can enter this room.
Holi-- a festival held in February or March, where people all castes gather in streets and throw colored powders or colored water at each other to celebrate the pranks that Krishna played as a young man.
Dussehra a ten-day festival held in September or October, celebrating either the victory of the goddess Durga over the Buffalo Demon or the victory of tie god Rama over tie demon king Ravana.
Diwali — a five-day festival of lights held in October or November, honoring the god Rama, where people exchange gifts, eat special foods, and watch fireworks displays.