Origin of Hindu Religion
A Hindu ( pronunciation (help·info), Devanagari: हिन्दु) is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs, which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra. Vedānta and yoga are one of the several core schools of Hindu philosophy, broadly known as the Sanātana Dharma. The word Hindu is at times attributed to all persons professing Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism or Sikhism as is used in the Constitution of India.[1]
With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 1 billion, live in India.[2] Other countries with large Hindu populations, such as Nepal, Mauritius and the island of Bali, can be found in various parts of the world.
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Definition
4 Customs and traditions
4.1 Ethnic and cultural fabric
4.2 Hindu ceremonies, observances and pilgrimages
4.2.1 Initiation
5 Sixteen sanskars (rituals)
6 Notes
7 References
[edit]Etymology
The word Hindu is the Persian name of the Indus River (Sanskrit Sindhu), which flows in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.[3] The Persian term was further loaned into Arabic as Al-Hind referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus, and into Greek as Indos, whence ultimately English India.[4] By the 13th century, the Persian loanword Hindustān emerged as a popular alternative name of India amongst Muslims and the Urdu speaking people, meaning the "land of Hindus".[5]
Originally, Hindu was a secular term which was used to describe all inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent irrespective of their religious affiliation. It occurs sporadically in some 16th-18th century Bengali Gaudiya Vaishnava texts, including Chaitanya Charitamrita and Chaitanya Bhagavata, usually to
With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 1 billion, live in India.[2] Other countries with large Hindu populations, such as Nepal, Mauritius and the island of Bali, can be found in various parts of the world.
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Definition
4 Customs and traditions
4.1 Ethnic and cultural fabric
4.2 Hindu ceremonies, observances and pilgrimages
4.2.1 Initiation
5 Sixteen sanskars (rituals)
6 Notes
7 References
[edit]Etymology
The word Hindu is the Persian name of the Indus River (Sanskrit Sindhu), which flows in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.[3] The Persian term was further loaned into Arabic as Al-Hind referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus, and into Greek as Indos, whence ultimately English India.[4] By the 13th century, the Persian loanword Hindustān emerged as a popular alternative name of India amongst Muslims and the Urdu speaking people, meaning the "land of Hindus".[5]
Originally, Hindu was a secular term which was used to describe all inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent irrespective of their religious affiliation. It occurs sporadically in some 16th-18th century Bengali Gaudiya Vaishnava texts, including Chaitanya Charitamrita and Chaitanya Bhagavata, usually to
References: Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009) [edit]Ethnic and cultural fabric