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 commonplace daily chores
to education and politics. Secular India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity,
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Hinduism
is the dominant faith, practiced by over 80% of the population.
From
times immemorial India has always witnessed onslaught from foreigners. People
from different civilization and races have come to India and settled here. 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. Consequently,
India today is a mixture of different races, religions, castes, and creeds.
All religious festivals are celebrated with zeal and vigor in India. People
spend a lot to celebrate religious festivals. There is a common practice of charity
and alms giving on festival days. Though religious practices of religious communities
vary from each other, yet there are certain elements that are common to all religions
in India.
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.
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. .
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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, the holy book of Sikhs .
Jainism
Jainism
is an offshoot 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. The religion is based on the law of impermanence
and law of causation. Though an offshoot of Hinduism, it commanded universal appeal
and became popular in countries like Japan, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
Buddhism advocates casteless, classless society.
Islam
The
Arab traders brought Islam with 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 surrender to Allah (God, the Almighty).
Christianity
Most
Christians in India are Catholic (over 60 percent) and a majority of them are
found in the south, particularly Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 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 left his moral
body there. However, others believe that the first missionary to arrive in the
country was Saint Bartholomew.
