Since
time immemorial, India has always witnessed onslaught from foreigners.
People from different civilization and races have come to India and settled
here. Consequently, India today is a mixture of different races, religions,
castes, creeds. India has proved to be a safe haven for people all races.
There are different faiths professed in India. One can find all major
religions of the world.
In India, religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire
Indian tradition. For the majority of Indians, religion permeates every
aspect of life, from common-place daily chores to education and politics.
Secular India is home to major religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity,
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions.
Hinduism is the dominant faith in India, practiced by over 80% of the
population.
Major Religions in
India
Hinduism
It is hard to define the basic tenets of Hinduism as there is no single
philosophy that governs Hinduism. The theoretical and practical expressions
are so diverse that is difficult to attribute fixed characteristics to
Hinduism. As against other religions, Hinduism is not a monotheistic
religion. It believes in pantheon worship and has thousands of god and
goddesses. There is no single founder or single sacred book of Hindus.
However, Rig Veda, Upanishad and Bhagvat Gita are the scarred books of
Hindus.
Sikhism
Founded by Guru Nanak Dev, Sikhism has taken from both Hinduism and Islam.
The aim of Sikhism was to unite Islam and Hinduism.The teachings of Guru
Nanak Dev were incorporated in Guru Granth Sahib. This is the holy book of
Sikhs.
Jainism
Jainism is an off-shoot of Hinduism and was established in India about the
same time as Buddhism. Jainism was a reaction to the casteism and other
social evils prevalent at that time. It believes in total abstinence and
asceticism. The main thrust is on renunciation of worldly-desires and
self-conquest to attain perfect wisdom.
Buddhism
Siddhartha, later Gautam Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. Though an
off-shoot of Hinduism, it commanded universal appeal and became popular in
countries like Japan, Japan, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia. Buddism advocates
casteless, classless society. Buddhism is based on the law of impermanence
and law of causation.
Islam
The arab traders brought Islam wit them to India in the 8th century. Unlike
Hinduism., Islam is a monotheistic religion and preaches universal
brotherhood. It also believes in total submission or surrencer to Allah (
God Almighty)
Christianity
By tradition, Christianity is said to have arrived in India with Saint
Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, who spent some years in South
India and possibly died there. However, others believe that the first
missionary to arrive in the country was Saint Bartholomew. Most Christians
in India are Catholic (over 60 percent) and a majority of them are found in
the south, particularly Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
Famous Religious Places in India
India will not be able to breathe without spirituality. Religion is no less
than oxygen to Indians. A religious tour of India will bring you to
countless religious places in India where you can experience Indian
spirituality at its best. Some of the most famous religious destinations in
India are as follows.
» Char Dham, Uttaranchal
» Vaishno Dev, Jammu & Kashmir
» Sangam, Uttar Pradesh
» Golden Temple, Amritsar
» Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan
» Pushkar, Rajasthan
» Kashi, Varanasi
» Sarnath, Varanasi
» Bodhgaya, Bihar
» Meenakshi Temple, Tamil Nadu
» Tirupathi Balaji Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Religious Festivals in India
Though religious practices of religious communities vary from each other,
yet there are certain elements that are common to all religions in India.
All religious festivals are celebrated with zeal and vigour in India. People
spend a lot to celebrate religious festivals. There is a common practice of
charity and alms giving on festival days. Famous Hindu festivals in India
include Diwali, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Dussehra and Makar
Sankranti. Muslims celebrate Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha. Christmas, Buddha
Jayanti and Guru Nanak's Birthday are other major religious festivals in
India.
