The religion originated in the Indus Valley region near the river Indus, a place which is currently in modern day Pakistan. About 80 percent of the total Indian population is Hindu. The Hindus believe in the Supreme God and the forms get represented in the number of deities which they worship.
The central belief of Hindus is the existence of a cycle of birth, death and then rebirth which is governed by karma of an individual. They believe that the soul travels through the cycle of successive lives. The next incarnation is dependent on the activities of a person’s previous life.
The most important Hindu texts are the Vedas and the supplements which are books based on them. The word ‘Veda’ comes from Sanskrit, meaning ‘knowledge’. Although these do not mention the word ‘Hindu’ specifically, yet many of the scriptures talk about dharma or ‘code of conduct’ or ‘duty’.
BIRTH
There are extensive rites of passage which the Hindus follow throughout their lives. Even before the birth of the baby, Hindus take part in rituals and even recite prayers which are meant to protect the fetus from any sort of illness or harmful things. The mothers consume healthy food and thus ensure the well-being of the baby.
In some of the families, the father of the baby is seen to perform a ceremony immediately after the baby is born. The father dips a gold pen in a jar containing honey and writes Om, which is a sacred Sanskrit symbol, on the tongue of the infant. This is a symbol which signifies truth and is written in the hope that the newborn would grow up to be honest and would speak the truth.
The baby gets a formal name after he or she is about a week old. The most common names are those of gods or goddesses and the name is whispered into the ear of the baby. If the baby is a girl, within the very first few years of life, the Hindu girl gets an ear-piercing done which is also ceremonial. Both the genders have their hair cut at a young age, which is symbolic of the renewal of life and doing away with the ill-doings of the past lives.
SACRED THREAD
Another very important event of the Hindus is the sacred thread ceremony which is an ancient rite of passage. It involves the adolescent males of the three upper castes of the Hindu society, the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas. This ceremony marks the inception of being a member of the religious community for the males.
The rites of passage are served, according to the Hindu tradition, to make the adolescent start the journey on the religious path. The young male is made to shave off his head and wear a saffron robe in the presence of a holy teacher. The boy then takes up a simple walking stick and goes on to renounce all materialistic possessions. The thread is then given to the adolescent. This thread is symbolic of the inter-connectedness of all things in life and world. This thread has seven strands, each of which is representative of various qualities or virtues. These are: Power of speech, Memory, Intelligence, Forgiveness, Steadfastness, Prosperity and Good reputation.
The boy makes the promise of embodying these qualities and virtues for the rest of life and wears the scared thread. The ceremony ends with a fire sacrifice which is the most common ritual in the religion. In ancient times, the boy used to follow the holy teacher to some place away from the household to learn the scriptures and lead a life of austerity and spirituality. He would enter the society later and get married to have a family.
MARRIAGE
In Hinduism, most of the marriages are arranged by the parents. The Hindus are inclined toward marrying within their same caste, although there are many anomalies in the contemporary times. A wedding ceremony is one of the most auspicious and colorful events in Hindu society. The customs vary greatly depending on the regions. The ceremony is a joyous and momentous. A lot of decoration is made at the venue and food is served to the people who are invited to take part in the ceremony. Some Hindu weddings last till three days.
The marriage ceremony centers round the sacred fire which is believed to be the manifestation of the god, Agni. The couple getting married is surrounded by family and friends and the priest chants the Sanskrit verses. The priest then leads the bride and the groom around the holy fire. This is amalgamated with sound of bells and other offerings which are made to the holy fire. Butter, grains and flowers are all used in the ceremonial proceedings of marriage. After completing one circle around the fire, the bride has to stand on one of the bricks which isam affirmation of her loyalty and strength. At the end, the groom and the bride take seven steps around the holy flame. These steps are taken to be the most significant action of a Hindu marriage. Thus, the two people are bonded for their lives and their union is sanctified.
CREMATION
The Hindu custom after death has been cremation or the burning of the deceased bodies. The rite of passage into death is also centered round the holy fire of the Hindus. The funeral starts when the body of the dead person is wrapped in cloth and carried away on the stretcher. As the loved ones of the deceased person go towards the creation ground, they recite holy prayers to the deity. The tradition is that the eldest son would light the wood of the funeral pyre. A flame is used for the purpose which is lit in a temple nearby the cremation ground. The people offer prayers and offerings as they believe that the dead person is going through this process of rebirth.
The fire is meant to cleanse the person, so that he or she can take a new birth. The rituals are also meant to protect the relatives of the deceased person from the evil spirits. The ceremony ends as the ashes are thrown in a river. River Ganges is the most pious place to put the ashes of the deceased as it is believed to cleanse the soul.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This religion is followed by innumerable people across the globe and has the very essence of the Eastern culture and community. This is primarily what makes me have immense interest in Hinduism.
The pagan beliefs of the religion make is very interesting to study. The most intriguing aspect of the religion is it its focus on the various rites and rituals. What is very interesting is the fact that fire is taken to be the most holy ingredient in the major ceremonies.
If given a chance, it would be very enthralling for me to have a close picture of this religion studying it from close quarters, something that has not been possible yet.
References
Religions: Hinduism. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
Hinduism. Retrieved from http://hinduism.about.com/
Basics of Hinduism. Retrieved from https://www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/basics/nine-beliefs
