RELIGIONS IN INDIA

CHRISTIANITY

is the third-largest religion in India. Most Indian Christians can be found in the southern part of the country. Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins. The Christian holy book is called the Bible.

The St. Peter's Basilica located in Vatican City, Italy is one of the biggest Christian churches in the world. It is the burial site of Saint Peter, one of Jesus's twelve apostles.

BUDDHISM

is a major religion in India today. It was first founded in India by prince Siddhartha Gautama who later become known as Buddha.

Buddhism offers a set of very simple ideas—that suffering and unhappiness are naturally a part of life. They sprout from our own desires and when one is freed from desire, they will cease to suffer and reach enlightenment.

Buddha taught that everyone was responsible for their own enlightenment, and that everyone could reach nirvana and free their soul. To achieve this we must only follow the 8-fold path.

This is the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India where Siddhartha Gautama first achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree to the left of the temple.

HINDUISM

is India's oldest and largest religion. About 83% of all Indians are Hindus. It teaches that society should be divided and everyone should have a fixed role in society. There are four social groups or castes, the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.

Hindus worship hundreds of millions of gods, among them the three most important ones are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Hindus believe that all living things have souls and are one with Brahma, the universal spirit.

One's ultimate goal is to reunite with Brahma, although this may take several lifetimes or reincarnations to achieve.

In this picture, India celebrates the Hindu holiday Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, which welcomes the arrival of winter.

JAINISM

Jains are a small but influential religious minority with about 4 million followers in India today. Jains oppose the caste system of Hinduism and believe that there are only 4 things one must do to achieve enlightenment: injure no life, tell the truth, don't steal and own no property. Jains are non-violent and most are vegetarians or fruitarians.

A Jain temple in Kochi, Kerala, India.

ISLAM

is one of the biggest religions in the world with about 1/5 of the world's population being Muslims. It is the second most widely-practiced religion in India. It was founded by the prophet Muhammad at around 600 AD. Muslims believe in one God. The Arabic word is Allah. The Islamic holy book is called the Quran.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and well-known symbols of Indian-Islamic culture in the world. It was built for Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Muslim emperor Shah Jahan.

The most holy city of Islam, Mecca, is the birthplace of Muhammad. Devout Muslims throughout the world turn toward Mecca in prayer five times each day. This is the Great Mosque in Mecca.

SIKHISM

is another religion native to India, founded by a man named Guru Nanak in Punjab. Je rejected idol worship and opposed the Hindu caste system. Sikhs believe in one God and view men and women as completely equal. Most Sikhs live in the Punjab area of India.

The Harmandir Sahid, or the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India is the most famous Sikh pilgrimage in the world.




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