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Hinduism is possibly the oldest religion known in the modern world. It is believed that inspired sages heard the Vedas (words of truth and knowledge) directly from gods in ancient times. It is considered to be sacred when these Vedas are recited. Hinduism has changed a great deal since these times because most of the ideas of modern Hindus are never mentioned in the Vedic texts.

After the Vedic age, Hindus practiced meditations and developed beliefs in reincarnation. These practices developed out of revolts against the caste system. People needed to find another way to practice their religion after being banned from rituals because of their status. Karma became a major belief in Hindu life, as well as the belief in one God, Brahman, with many reflections, such as Vishnu and Shiva. There are so many different beliefs and customs within the Hindu religion and everyone seems to adopt their own approach. Some Hindus believe that they must work towards enlightenment throughout their entire lives, while some follow a four-stage progression in their lives. These people believe that different forms of behavior are pertinent to these different stages in their lives. Some study astrology and consult horoscopes when arranging marriages. Others bathe in the Ganges River every morning to remove their sins. There is no particular day of worship but there are many days throughout the year to honor different deities.The world “Hindu” was actually created by the British to differentiate the Hindus from the Muslims when they entered India in the 18th century. The British restricted Hindu speech and created struggles between the Muslims and the Hindus. This caused years of violence. Mahatma Gandhi taught Hindus how to seek truth to attain salvation and enlightenment and forged an alliance in 1919 to promote anti-violence. He wasn’t a practitioner of traditional rituals because he studied all religions and took certain ideas from each to incorporate into his own. After Muslims and Hindus were divided into Pakistan and India after World War II, Gandhi fought to reunite them once again.