The People and their Religion

Hinduism

In many religions truth is delivered or revealed from a divine source and enters the world through a single agent. For example, Abraham in Judaism, Jesus in Christianity, and Muhammad in Islam. These truths are then recorded in scriptures that serve as a source of knowledge of divine wisdom: the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’an. In the Hindu tradition, by contrast, there is no single revelation or established doctrine by which people may achieve knowledge of the divine or lead a life backed by religious law. The Hindu tradition acknowledges that there are many paths by which people may seek and experience religious understanding and direction. It also claims that every individual has the potential to achieve enlightenment.

Having said that, Hindus believe in One Supreme God, beyond form, space and time and beyond human comprehension: Brahman, who is at one with the universe and who transcends it as well. "I am the Father of this Universe. I am the Mother of this universe, and the Creator of all. I am the Highest to be known, the Purifier, the holy OM, and the three Vedas." (Bhagavad Gita 9.17)

To comprehend this concept, Brahman is visualized as a trinity: 1 God as 3 persons (Vedas):

About 80% of Hindus worship Lord Vishnu. In addition to that they pray to several lesser gods. In practice, a worshiper tends to concentrate prayers on one deity or on a small group of Hindu Gods with whom there is a close personal relationship. The worship of the Hindu gods consists of a range of ritual offerings (of flowers and food) and prayers typically performed either daily or on special days before an image of the deity. However, each day must begin with a prayer to Lord Ganesha, before they can pray to another god. Read here how Ganesha got an elephant's head.

Brahman with Vishnu & Lakshmi

Ganesha

Red dot and stripe

What does the mark on the forehead mean?
The colored dot is a sign of piety, and it reveals to other people that the wearer is a Hindu. It symbolizes the third eye -- the one focused inwards toward God. Both men and women used to wear it, although the practice among men has gone out of style. In the past, many unmarried women wore black marks, whereas many married women wore red. But in recent times, mainly married women wear dots, most often red, but sometimes another color to match their saris. They also might add a red stripe in the middle on the top of their forehead.

Hindus organize their lives around the "four aims of Hinduism". They are:
- dharma: righteousness in their religious life
- artha: success in their economic life; material prosperity
- kama: gratification of the senses; pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment
- moksa: liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

Children photos

Washing the kids and dishes	Good scrub	Surfing on "Mother India"
Nit picking	Nepalese anguish	2 x 2

Women

All home grown	Festival in Thamel	Watching others
Indian woman	Nepalese woman	Doing dishes in the gutter

Men

Durbare square Holy Men	Peace	Simple head dress
20 ft head dress	The latest Fashion	Cheap transport in Delhi

Below: Another form of transport in Delhi. Look how nicely painted the truck is.