# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hinduism - World's Oldest Religion Explained - Origins, Beliefs, Facts

# data[].attributes.body
Hinduism Introduction: Core ideas of Brahman, Atman, Samsara and ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hinduism Introduction: Core ideas of Brahman, Atman, Samsara and Moksha | History | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home Philosophy & Religion Religious Beliefs
Table of Contents

Hinduism, major world religion originating on the Indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Although the name Hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by British writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly earlier. If the Indus valley civilization (3rd-2nd millennium bce) was the earliest source of these traditions, as some scholars hold, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth. Its many sacred texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a vehicle for spreading the religion to other parts of the world, though ritual and the visual and performing arts also played a significant role in its transmission. From about the 4th century ce, Hinduism had a dominant presence in Southeast Asia, one that would last for more than 1,000 years.

In the early 21st century, Hinduism had nearly one billion adherents worldwide and was the religion of about 80 percent of India's population. Despite its global presence, however, it is best understood through its many distinctive regional manifestations.

Overview

The term Hinduism

The term Hinduism became familiar as a designator of religious ideas and practices distinctive to India with the publication of books such as Hinduism (1877) by Sir Monier Monier-Williams, the notable Oxford scholar and author of an influential Sanskrit dictionary. Initially it was an outsiders' term, building on centuries-old usages of the word Hindu. Early travelers to the Indus valley, beginning with the Greeks and Persians, spoke of its inhabitants as "Hindu" (Greek: 'indoi), and, in the 16th century, residents of India themselves began very slowly to employ the term to distinguish themselves from the Turks. Gradually the distinction became primarily religious rather than ethnic, geographic, or cultural.

Since the late 19th century, Hindus have reacted to the term Hinduism in several ways. Some have rejected it in favour of indigenous formulations. Others have preferred " Vedic religion," using the term Vedic to refer not only to the ancient religious texts known as the Vedas but also to a fluid corpus of sacred works in multiple languages and an orthoprax (traditionally sanctioned) way of life. Still others have chosen to call the religion sanatana dharma ("eternal law"), a formulation made popular in the 19th century and emphasizing the timeless elements of the tradition that are perceived to transcend local interpretations and practice. Finally, others, perhaps the majority, have simply accepted the term Hinduism or its analogues, especially hindu dharma (Hindu moral and religious law), in various Indic languages.

World Religions & Traditions

Since the early 20th century, textbooks on Hinduism have been written by Hindus themselves, often under the rubric of sanatana dharma. These efforts at self-explanation add a new layer to an elaborate tradition of explaining practice and doctrine that dates to the 1st millennium bce. The roots of Hinduism can be traced back much farther-both textually, to the schools of commentary and debate preserved in epic and Vedic writings from the 2nd millennium bce, and visually, through artistic representations of yakshas (luminous spirits associated with specific locales and natural phenomena) and nagas (cobralike divinities), which were worshipped from about 400 bce. The roots of the tradition are also sometimes traced back to the female terra-cotta figurines found ubiquitously in excavations of sites associated with the Indus valley civilization and sometimes interpreted as goddesses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hinduism | Origin, History, Beliefs, Gods, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the Indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. If the Indus valley civilization (3rd-2nd millennium BCE) was the earliest source of Hindu traditions, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth.

# data[].attributes.body
Hindu Women | Hinduism Facts | Facts about Hindu Religion
www.hinduismfacts.org/hindu-women/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guide to Hinduism, including gods and beliefs, colourful festivals, life and rituals.

# data[].attributes.body
Need something with everything? Check out this website with all the information in a easy to read and understand manner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Hinduism's Holy book?

The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas.

Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. Hindus have developed their system of worship and beliefs from the scriptures.

There are two main categories of the Hindu scriptures:

Shruti ("that which is heard") consists of the four Vedas and Upanishads scriptures.

Smriti ("that which is remembered") composed of traditional texts, including the Dharma Shastras (legal and ethical texts), the Puranas, and the folk/historical legends known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

The Hindu Holy Scriptures are mainly comprised of the following works written in the Sanskrit language:
1. The Vedas Rg-Veda (Rigveda), Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, Atharva-Veda ( see further down )

2. The Upanisads - These consider the nature of the individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul (Brahman.) One of the Upanishads contains the earliest reference to the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies (transmigration) of the soul.

3. The Smrutis - ('tradition) are the Laws of Manu (250 BC)

4. Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife.

5. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of this and means "The Song of God."

6. The Puranas - A collection of ancient tales about the different incarnations and the lives of saints.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hinduism for kids doing their homework. Hinduism is the world's third most popular religion, with around 900 million followers.

# data[].attributes.body
Want to know how Hinduism started, how Hinduism spread? Look know further. This website has all the information you need about the origins of the ancient religion, Hindism...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and derives from the Persian term Sindus designating those who lived across the Indus River. Adherents of the faith know it as Sanatan Dharma ("eternal order" or "eternal path") and understand the precepts, as set down in the scriptures known as the Vedas, as having always existed just as Brahman, the Supreme Over Soul from whom all of creation emerges, has always been. Brahman is the First Cause which sets all else in motion but is also that which is in motion, that which guides the course of creation, and creation itself.

Accordingly, one may interpret Hinduism as monotheistic (as there is one god), polytheistic (as there are many avatars of the one god), henotheistic (as one may choose to elevate any one of these avatars to supremacy), pantheistic (as the avatars might be interpreted as representing aspects of the natural world), or even atheistic as one might choose to replace the concept of Brahman with one's self in striving to be the best version of one's self. This belief system was first set down in writing in the works known as the Vedas during the so-called Vedic Period c. 1500 - c. 500 BCE but the concepts were transmitted orally long before.

There is no founder of Hinduism, no date of origin, nor - according to the faith - a development of the belief system; the scribes who wrote the Vedas are said to have been simply recording that which had always existed. This eternal knowledge is known as shruti ("what is heard") and is set down in the Vedas and their various sections known as the Samhitas, Aranyakas, Brahmanas, and, most famously, the Upanishads, each of which addresses a different aspect of the faith.

The purpose of life is to recognize the essential oneness of existence, the higher aspect of the individual self, through adherence to one's duty in life.

These works are complemented by another type known as smritis ("what is remembered") which relate stories on how one is to practice the faith and include the Puranas, the epics Mahabharata and , the Yoga Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. None of these, however, should be considered the " Hindu Bible " as there is no claim they are the "word of God"; they are, instead, the revelation of the truth of existence which claims the universe is rational, structured, and controlled by the Supreme Over Soul/Mind known as Brahman in whose essence all human beings take part.

The purpose of life is to recognize the essential oneness of existence, the higher aspect of the individual self (known as the Atman) which is a part of everyone else's self as well as the Over Soul/Mind and, through adherence to one's duty in life ( dharma) performed with the proper action (), to slip the bonds of physical existence and escape from the cycle of rebirth and death ( samsara). Once the individual has done so, the Atman joins with Brahman and one has returned home to the primordial oneness. That which keeps one from realizing this oneness is the illusion of duality - the belief that one is separate from others and from one's Creator - but this misconception (known as ), encouraged by one's experience in the physical world, may be overcome by recognizing the essential unity of all existence - how alike one is to others and, finally, to the divine - and attaining the enlighted state of self-actualization.

Early Development

Some form of the belief system which would become, or at least influence, Hinduism most likely existed in the Indus Valley prior to the 3rd millennium BCE when a nomadic coalition of tribes who referred to themselves as Aryan came to the region from Central Asia. Some of these people, now referred to as Indo-Iranians, settled in the region of modern-day Iran (some of whom came to be known in the West as Persians) while others, now known as Indo- Aryans, made their home in the Indus Valley. The term "Aryan" referred to a class of people, not a race, and meant "free man" or "noble". The long-standing myth of an "Aryan Invasion" in which Caucasians "brought civilization " to the region is the product of narrow-minded and prejudiced 18th- and 19th-century CE Western scholarship and has long been discredited.

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter!

It is clear from the ruins of cities such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa (to name only the two most famous) that a highly advanced civilization was already well developed in the Indus River Valley by c. 3000 BCE, having grown from Neolithic Period settlements dating to before 7000 BCE. This period is now referred to as the era of the Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan Civilization (c. 7000 - c. 600 BCE) which would be influenced by and merge with the culture of the Indo-Aryans.

By c. 2000 BCE, the great city of Mohenjo-daro had brick streets, running water, and a highly developed industrial, commercial, and political system. It is almost certain they also had developed some sort of religious belief which included ritual bathing and other religious observances, but no written records exist to substantiate this. It is more certain that, whatever form this religion took, significant elements of it originated elsewhere as the basic Vedic thought (as well as the names and characters of many of the gods) correspond closely with the Early Iranian Religion of Persia.

The early Indus Valley religion developed through the influence of the new arrivals during the Vedic Period. During this time, the belief system known as Vedism was developed by the so-called Vedic peoples who wrote in Sanskrit, the language the Vedas are composed in. Scholar John M. Koller writes:

The Sanskrit language, of which the Vedas are the oldest surviving expression, became dominant. Although the Sanskrit tradition reflects borrowing and accommodations from non-Vedic sources, it hides more of these contributions than it reveals. Thus, despite the grandeur of the ancient Indus civilization, it is to the Vedas that we must turn for an understanding of earliest Indian thought. (16)

The Vedas sought to understand the nature of existence and the individual's place in the cosmic order. In pursuing these questions, the sages created the highly developed theological system which would become Hinduism.

Vedism became Brahmanism, a religious belief focusing on the underlying Truth, the First Cause, of all observable phenomena as well as the unseen aspects of existence. The sages who developed Brahmanism began with the observable world which operated according to certain rules. They called these rules rita ("order") and recognized that, in order for rita to exist, something had to have existed previously to create it; one could not have rules without a rule-maker.

At this time, there were many gods in the pantheon of Vedism who could have been looked to as the First Cause but the sages went beyond the anthropomorphic deities and recognized, as Koller puts it, that "there is a wholeness, an undivided reality, that is more fundamental than being or non-being" (19). This entity was envisioned as an individual but one so great and powerful as to be beyond all human comprehension. The being they came to refer to as Brahman did not just exist in reality (another being like any others) nor outside of reality (in the realm of non-being or pre-existence) but was actual reality itself. Brahman not only caused things to be as they were; it was things as they were, had always been, and would always be. Hence the designation of Sanatan Dharma - Eternal Order - as the name of the belief system.

Support our Non-Profit Organization

With your help we create free content that helps millions of people learn history all around the world.

Become a Member

If that were so, however, an insignificant individual living briefly on the earth had no hope of connection with this ultimate source of life. Since Brahman could not be comprehended, no relationship could be possible. The Vedic sages turned their attention from the First Cause to the individual and defined the aspects of the self as the physical body, as the soul, and as the mind but none of these were adequate to make a connection to the Ultimate until they understood there had to be a higher self which directed one's other functions. Koller comments:

This Self is said to be "other than the known and other than the unknown" [Kena Upanishad I.4]. The question the sage is asking is: What makes possible seeing, hearing, and thinking? But the question is not about physiological or mental processes; it is about the ultimate subject who knows. Who directs the eye to see color and the mind to think thoughts? The sage assumes there must be an inner director, an inner agent, directing the various functions of knowledge. (24)

This "inner director" was determined to be the Atman - one's higher self - who is connected to Brahman because it is Brahman. Every individual carries within themselves the Ultimate Truth and the First Cause. There is no reason to seek this entity externally because one carries that entity inside of one's self; one only has to realize this truth in order to live it; as expressed in the Chandogya Upanishad in the phrase Tat Tvam Asi - "Thou Art That" - one is already what one seeks to become; one only has to realize it.

This realization was encouraged through rituals which not only celebrated Brahman but reenacted the creation of all things. The priestly class (Brahmins), in elevating the Ultimate Divine through the chants, hymns, and songs of the Vedas, elevated an audience by impressing upon them the fact that they already were where they wanted to be, they were not just in the presence of the Divine but were an integral part of it, and all they needed to do was be aware of this and celebrate it through performance of their divinely-appointed duty in life enacted according to that duty.

Classical Hinduism

The central focus of Hinduism, whatever form one believes it takes, is self-knowledge; in knowing one's self, one comes to know God.

Brahmanism developed into the system now known as Hinduism which, although generally regarded as a religion, is also considered a way of life and a philosophy. The central focus of Hinduism, whatever form one believes it takes, is self-knowledge; in knowing one's self, one comes to know God. Evil comes from ignorance of what is good; knowledge of what is good negates evil. One's purpose in life is to recognize what is good and pursue it according to one's particular duty ( dharma), and the action involved in that proper pursuit is one's karma. The more dutifully one performs one's karma in accordance with one's dharma, the closer to self-actualization one becomes and so the closer to realizing the Divine in one's self.

The physical world is an illusion only in so far that it convinces one of duality and separation. One may turn one's back on the world and pursue the life of a religious ascetic, but Hinduism encourages full participation in life through the purusharthas - life goals - which are:

Artha - one's career, home life, material wealth

Kama - love, sexuality, sensuality, pleasure

Moksha - liberation, freedom, enlightenment, self-actualization

The soul takes enjoyment in these pursuits even though it understands they are all temporal pleasures. The soul is immortal - it has always existed as part of Brahman and will always exist - therefore the finality of death is an illusion. At death, the soul discards the body and then is reincarnated if it failed to attain Moksha or, if it did, the Atman becomes one with Brahman and returns to its eternal home. The cycle of rebirth and death, known as samsara, will continue until the soul has had its fill of earthly experience and pleasures and concentrates a life on detachment and pursuit of eternal, rather than temporal, goods.

Helping or hindering one in this goal are three qualities or characteristics inherent in every soul known as the gunas:

Sattva - wisdom, goodness, detached enlightenment

Rajas - passionate intensity, constant activity, aggression

Tamas - literally "blown by the winds", darkness, confusion, helplessness

The gunas are not three states one 'works through' from lowest to highest; they are present in every soul to greater or lesser degrees. An individual who is generally composed and lives a good life might still become swept away by passion or find themselves whirling in helpless confusion. Recognizing the gunas for what they are, however, and working to control the less desirable aspects of them, helps one to see more clearly one's dharma in life and how to perform it. One's dharma can only be performed by one's self; no one may perform another's duty. Everyone has arrived on the earth with a specific role to play and, if one chooses not to play that role in one's present life, one will come back in another and another until one does so.

This process is often related to the Caste System of Hinduism in which one is born to a certain station which one cannot in any way change, must perform one's designated function as part of that class for life, and will be reincarnated if one fails to perform correctly. This concept, contrary to popular thought, was not imposed on the people of India by the colonial government of Britain in the 19th century CE but was first suggested in the Bhagavad Gita (composed c. 5th-2nd centuries BCE) when Krishna tells Arjuna about the gunas and one's responsibility to one's dharma.

Krishna says that one must do what one is supposed to do and relates the varna (caste) system as part of this in describing how an individual should live one's life according to Divine Will; anyone could be a Brahmin or a warrior or a merchant if that was their dharma; the caste system exists within each individual just as the gunas do. Krishna's words were later revised in the work known as Manusmriti ("The Laws of Manu"), written in the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd CE, which claimed a strict caste system had been ordained as part of the Divine Order in which one was destined to remain, for life, in the social class one was born into. The Laws of Manu manuscript is the first expression of this concept as it has now come to be understood.

Texts & Observance

Manu's later interference aside, the concept of Eternal Order is made clear through the texts which are regarded as the Hindu scriptures. These works, as noted, fall into two classes:

Shruti ("what is heard") - the revelation of the nature of existence as recorded by the scribes who "heard" it and recorded it in the Vedas.

Smritis ("what is remembered") - accounts of great heroes of the past and how they lived - or failed to live - in accordance with the precepts of Eternal Order.

The texts relating Shruti are the Four Vedas:

Rig Veda - the oldest of the Vedas, a collection of hymns

Sama Veda - liturgical texts, chants, and songs

Yajur Veda - ritual formulas, mantras, chants

Atharva Veda - spells, chants, hymns, prayers

Each of these is further divided into types of text:

Aranyakas - rituals, observances

Brahmanas - commentaries on said rituals and observances explaining them

Samhitas - benedictions, prayers, mantras

Upanishads - philosophical commentaries on the meaning of life and Vedas

The texts relating Smritis are:

Puranas - folklore and legend regarding figures of the ancient past

Ramayana - epic tale of Prince Rama and his journey to self-actualization

Mahabharata - epic tale of the five Pandavas and their war with the Kauravas

Bhagavad Gita - popular tale in which Krishna instructs the prince Arjuna on dharma

Yoga Sutras - commentary on the different disciplines of yoga and self-liberation

These texts allude to or specifically address numerous deities such as Indra, lord of the cosmic forces, thunderbolts, storms, war, and courage; Vac, goddess of consciousness, speech, and clear communication; Agni, god of fire and illumination; Kali, goddess of death; Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, remover of obstacles; Parvati, goddess of love, fertility, and strength and also the consort of Shiva; and Soma, god of the sea, fertility, illumination, and ecstasy. Among the most important of the deities are those who make up the so-called "Hindu Trinity":

Brahma - the creator

Vishnu - the preserver

Shiva - the destroyer

All of these gods are manifestations of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, who can only be understood through aspects of Itself. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are both these aspects and individual deities with their own characters, motivations, and desires. They may also be understood through their own avatars - as they themselves are also too overwhelming to be comprehended on their own entirely - and so take the form of other gods, the most famous of which is Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, who comes to earth periodically to adjust humanity's understanding and correct error.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna appears as the Prince Arjuna's charioteer because he knows Arjuna will have doubts about fighting against his relatives at the Battle of Kurukshetra. He pauses time in order to instruct Arjuna on the nature of dharma and the illusion of the finality of death, elevating his mind above his interpretation of present circumstance, and allowing him to perform his duty as a warrior.

These texts inform the religious observances of adherents of Sanatan Dharma which, generally speaking, have two aspects:

Puja - worship, ritual, sacrifice, and prayer either at a personal shrine or temple

Darshan - direct visual contact with the statue of a deity

One may worship the Divine at one's home, a personal shrine, or a temple. In the temple, the clergy will assist an individual and their family by interceding on their behalf with the deity by instruction, chants, songs, and prayers. Song, dance, and general movement in expressing one's self before God often characterize a religious service. An important element of this is visual contact with the eyes of the deity as represented by a statue or figurine.

Darshan is vital to worship and communion in that the god is seeking the adherent as earnestly as the adherent seeks the deity and they meet through the eyes. This is the reason why Hindu temples are adorned with figures of the many gods both inside and externally. The statue is thought to embody the deity itself and one receives blessings and comfort through eye contact just as one would in a meeting with a friend.

Conclusion

This relationship between a believer and the deity is most apparent through the many festivals observed throughout the year. Among the most popular is Diwali, the festival of lights, which celebrates the triumph of bright energies and light over the forces of negativity and darkness. In this festival, as in daily observance, the presence of a statue or figurine of a deity is important in making connection and elevating the mind and soul of an adherent.

Diwali is probably the best example of the discipline of Bhakti Yoga which focuses on loving devotion and service. People clean, renovate, decorate, and improve their homes in honor of the goddess of fertility and prosperity Lakshmi, and give thanks for all they have received from her. There are many other deities, however, who may be called upon at Diwali to take the place of Lakshmi depending on what an adherent needs and what has been received over the past year.

The individual deity does not finally matter because all the deities of the pantheon are aspects of Brahman as is the worshipper and the act of worship. The details of the observance do not matter as much as the observance itself which acknowledges one's place in the universe and reasserts one's commitment to recognizing the divine unity in every aspect of one's life and one's connection to others who are traveling the same path toward home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and derives from the Persian term Sindus designating those who lived across the Indus River.

# data[].attributes.headline
Austalian Putting Their Faith In Hinduism

# data[].attributes.subject
Austalian Putting Their Faith In Hinduism

# data[].attributes.body
As of 2011 (the last census), Hinduism is now the third largest non- christian religion in Australia.  With more Australian putting their faith in Hinduism! as migration, and local interest, has established Hinduism as Australia’s fastest growing religion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Garlands have been pinned to the wheels of the chariot and curries seasoned to perfection for prasadam (a religious offering), while Krishna's idol is adorned with jewels for public viewing.

The occasion is Rath Yatra, or Chariot Festival, organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Held annually to emulate a similar large-scale Rath Yatra at Puri, in India, the festival attracts thousands of Australians to see the Hindu God Krishna - or Jaggannath (Lord of the Universe) - step out of the sanctum of his temple in Albert Park onto the streets of Melbourne for his darshan (viewing).

This year, a record 25,000 people took part in the yatra at St Kilda's Catani Gardens, reflecting Hinduism's rising popularity in Australia, which is expected to be confirmed in the latest Census as the nation's fastest growing religion.

The trend is largely explained by migration, with increasing numbers of Indians settling in Australia, and particularly in Melbourne.

But locally-born Australians, too, are gravitating towards the world's third biggest religion, according to local followers.

"The Hindu way of life, with vegetarianism, karma and spirituality as its tenets, has never been more popular in the western world," says Bhakta Dasa, the national communications director for ISKCON Australia.

The trend that first emerged in the 2011 Census is expected to have continued in the years since, according to both the Australian Multicultural Foundation and the Hindu Council of Australia.

They point to the four-fold increase in the number of Indian-born residents in the nearly two decades to June 2014 as a key driver.

Census watchers, meanwhile, predict that despite the growth in the number of Australians nominating Islam as their religion (predicted to have risen from 2.2 per cent to 2.6 per cent of the population), Hinduism stands to overtake it (2.7 per cent).

Mr Dasa cites the increasing numbers of Indian students graduating and staying on in Australia as permanent residents as a key to the rising popularity of Hinduism.

Drawn to the faith around the same time that the Beatles travelled to the Indian holy city of Rishikesh to study transcendental meditation, Mr Dasa says there is a growing segment of the Australian population that finds Hinduism fascinating.

Indeed, ISKCON, an international organisation established in 1966 to promote Hindu scriptures and the principles of Hinduism, was predominantly a Caucasian movement when it was started in the mid-1900s. Over the years, through shifting immigration, ISKCON has come to boast a membership of 60,000 - 70 per cent of whom are Hindus from overseas and the rest mostly Anglo Australians.

Mr Dasa, formerly the Reverend Albert Lange, trained to be a priest in Papua New Guinea but became disillusioned with Christianity.

"The Hindu way of life, with vegetarianism, karma and spirituality as its tenets, has never been more popular in the western world." - Bhakta Dasa, ISKCON Australia

"I was an atheist before I found my truth in the Hare Krishna movement," he explains.

This year's chariot festival was a huge success, with a Vedic village created in the gardens of St Kilda hosting activities such as Bhagwad Gita readings, face painting, and traditional and western dance performances.

Mr Dasa says many people attend the festival to get a sense of its purpose and to savour the free food (prashadam).

"When you pull the ropes of Krishna's cart you are inviting the god to your heart and re-establishing the connection. Irrespective of their belief, we let everyone have a go," he adds.

ISKCON's Albert Park headquarters is not the only temple catering to the religious needs of Hindus in Melbourne. Of the 51 temples across Australia, 19 are located in Victoria and belong to different sects of Hindus that worship different gods such as Ganesha, Durga, Hanuman and Shirdi Sai Baba.

The foundations for the Shiva Vishnu temple, one of Australia's oldest and biggest Hindu temples, were laid in 1988 in Carrum Downs, in Melbourne's south-east. Situated on almost six hectares of land, the temple is visited by more than 100,000 people a year.

Constructed predominantly by Hindus from India and Sri Lanka, the temple offers a religious home to many migrants, including those from south-east Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as Fiji.

Adapting to a western world has helped dissolve the boundaries created by traditions and caste that still exist in India, where the 5000-year-old religion of Hinduism originated.

In Australia,Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the creator), two Hindu gods who never cross paths in the temples of India, not only share a common home but also grant Darshan (an audience) to people from all walks of life irrespective of their caste or religion, or the colour of their skin.

"We just needed a place to worship," says Sivananthini Krishnamoorthy, a migrant from Sri Lanka who has been a part of the team that saw Shiva Vishnu temple take shape from humble beginnings in a small shed. "And we would bring food from home as prashadam [a religious offering] and sing bhajans [hymns]," she says.

Mrs Krishnamoorthy, who has visited many holy places across the world, says the Hindu temple at Carrum Downs is more than a place of worship for the Hindu community of Melbourne.

She says the temples of Melbourne had helped her family to retain a connection to their culture and tradition.

But she also finds it amazing that many white Australians also visit the temple and are learning Vedic Hindu scriptures in Tamil.

"Something that I never did as a child, even in Sri Lanka," she adds.

Most Hindu temples of Melbourne come under the umbrella of the Hindu Organisation of Temples Association, which engages in many interfaith activities and provides spiritual services to Hindus across Australia.

The temple premises often become celebration venues for weddings, naming ceremonies and festivals such as Diwali, Holi and New Year. Traditionally, it is a first stop for Hindus on the arrival of a baby, or when moving into a new house, or buying a car. Students and job seekers often flock there before a major exam or interview, a tradition that seems to have crossed continents.

Mrs Krishnamoorthy, a weekly visitor, says her faith in the temple and the deities goes deeper than paying the cursory Diwali or New Year visit to greet the gods.

"I have prayed there in my times of need and things have always worked out. Now I pray to thank the God for all that I have."

ISKCON's Bhakta Dasa, who represents Australia's Hindus on the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, says that with the increasing religious needs of the Hindu population it became imperative to work under a unified body.

The Hindu Council of Australia liaises with government, while reaching out to other organisations and institutions, and seeks fair representation of Hindus in the media.

Makrand Bhagwat, a Victorian member of the Hindu Council of Australia, says the council had a major hand in adding Hinduism as a religion option in last year's Census.

"[The council], along with its partner organisations, ran a campaign in our networks to encourage the Hindu community to exercise this option," he says. "We are very keen to see the outcome of the 2016 Census . . . and pretty confident that this [growth] trend will continue."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
More Australians putting their faith in Hinduism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Garlands have been pinned to the wheels of the chariot and curries seasoned to perfection for prasadam (a religious offering), while Krishna's idol is adorned with jewels for public viewing. The occasion is Rath Yatra, or Chariot Festival, organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

# data[].attributes.body
Want to know more about the legend of Holi? Click below to find out more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking.

Holi is probably the least religious of Hindu holidays. During Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild in the streets.

History and Meaning of Holi

Celebrated all over India since ancient times, Holi's precise form and purpose display great variety. Originally, Holi was an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring.

This aspect still plays a significant part in the festival in the form of the colored powders: Holi is a time when man and nature alike throw off the gloom of winter and rejoice in the colors and liveliness of spring.

Holi also commemorates various events in Hindu mythology, but for most Hindus it provides a temporary opportunity for Hindus to disregard social norms, indulge in merrymaking and generally "let loose."

The legend commemorated by the festival of Holi involves an evil king named Hiranyakashipu. He forbade his son Prahlad from worshipping Vishnu, but Radhu continued to do offer prayers to the god. Getting angry with his son, Hiranyakashipu challenged Prahlad to sit on a pyre with his wicked aunt Holika who was believed to be immune to fire. (In an alternate version, Holika put herself and Prahlad on the fire on orders from her brother.)

Prahlad accepted the challenge and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika was burnt to death, while Prahlad survived without a scar to show for it. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi. According to some accounts, Holika begged Prahlad for forgiveness before her demise, and he decreed that she would be remembered every year at Holi.

An alternative account of the basis of the holiday is associated with a legend involving Lord Shiva, one of the major Hindu gods. Shiva is known for his meditative nature and his many hours spent in solitude and deep meditation. Madana, the God of love, decided to test his resolve and appeared to Shiva in the form of a beautiful nymph. But Shiva recognized Madana and became very angry. In a fit of rage he shot fire out of his third eye and reduced her to ashes. This is sometimes given as the basis of Holi's bonfire.

The festival of Holi is also associated with the enduring love between Lord Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) and Radha, and Krishna in general. According to legend, the young Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about why Radha was so fair and he so dark. Yashoda advised him to apply colour on Radha's face and see how her complexion would change. Because of this associated with Krishna, Holi is extended over a longer period in Vrindavan and Mathura, two cities with which Krishna is closely affiliated.

Krishna's followers everywhere find special meaning in the joyous festival, as general frivolity is considered to be in imitation of Krishna's play with the gopis (wives and daughters of cowherds).

Holi Rituals and Customs

The central ritual of Holi is the throwing and applying of colored water and powders on friends and family, which gives the holiday its common name "Festival of Colors." This ritual is said to be based on the above story of Krishna and Radha as well as on Krishna's playful splashing of the maids with water, but most of all it celebrates the coming of spring with all its beautiful colors and vibrant life.

Holi is spread out over two days (it used to be five, and in some places it is longer). The entire holiday is associated with a loosening of social restrictions normally associated with caste, sex, status and age. Holi thus bridges social gaps and brings people together: employees and employers, men and women, rich and poor, young and old. Holi is also characterized by the loosening of social norms governing polite behavior and the resulting general atmosphere of licentious merrymaking and ribald language and behavior. A common saying heard during Holi is bura na mano, Holi hai ("don't feel offended, it's Holi").

On the evening of the first day of Holi, a public bonfire is held, commemorating the burning of Holika. Traditionally, Hindu boys spend the weeks prior to Holi combing the neighborhood for any waste wood they can find for the bonfire. The fire is lit sometime between 10 PM and midnight (at the rising of the moon), not generally in an orderly fashion. Everyone gathers in the street for the event, and the air rings with shouts, catcalls, curses and general mayhem.

In Bengal, Holi features the Dolayatra (Swing Festival), in which images of the gods are placed on specially decorated platforms and devotees take turns swinging them. In the meantime, women dance around and sing special songs as men spray colored water at them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking.

# data[].attributes.body
Hindu Fun Facts on Food, Music, Language and more!

# data[].attributes.body
Everything Diwali

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When is Diwali 2021 and how is it celebrated?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Diwali, the festival of lights, represents the triumph of good over evil