Hinduism GOLDE TISCHLER KIRA HOMSHER
Where and how did Hinduism originate?
How did the natural environment influence the beliefs, practices, or traditions of Hinduism? The Hindu holiday, Holi, is a perfect example! Holi began as a spring festival celebrating fertility and harvest. To welcome spring and new life, people celebrate Holi throwing colorful paint into the sky and at each other. Pilgrimage an undertaking to be seen by the deity is influenced by the natural environment Hindus go to and worship at natural sites such as mountains and rivers, where gods are believed to have manifested.
How and where did the religion diffuse? While Hinduism is the third largest religion it didn't diffuse much at all. It started in India and 97% of people who practice Hinduism live in India, while most of the remainder live in neighboring country Nepal. There are also very small minorities of Hindus in most countries.
How do divisions within the religion (branch, denomination, sect) affect its distribution? Hindus that believe in the god Siva or Shakti (according to Siva) are distributed mainly in Northern India. Hindus who believe in the god Vishnu and Shakti (according to Vishnu) are mainly distributed in Eastern and Western India. Considering that Hindus choose individual ways to practice Hinduism, divisions within the religions may not play a huge role in distribution because any Hindu may be different than another.
How did Hinduism change as a result of diffusion to new places or interaction with new peoples? Because of the interaction between the British administrators and Christian missionaries, the caste system in India, practiced by the Hindus, has been relaxed in recent years, and the untouchable caste has been legally abolished.
How does the practice of Hinduism vary in the different place it is practiced? Hindus believe that it is up to the individual to choose the way in which they want to worship God. Hinduism doesn't have one single holy book, and so a person is free to practice the religion in a way that is harmonious with themselves. 68% of Hindu's believe in Vaishnavism. They believe in the god Vishnu, who was reincarnated as Krishna. Shatism is the female version of Vishnu and Siva. People who believe in the god Vishnu and Shakti (having to do with Vishnu) typically live in the East, West, and a small portion of the South.
27% Of Hindu's believe in Sivaism, believing in the god Siva--a protective and destructive god. People who believe in Shakti (having to do with Sivaism) and Siva typically live in the North and some in the south. For Vaishnavism, Shatism,and Sivaism, holy places are dispersed throughout the country.
How does the religion affect the cultural landscapes in the places where it is practiced? Hinduism is closely tied to India s physical geography. Holy shrines are most likely to be located among riverbanks or coastlines. Hindu beliefs cause certain natural features to be popular places for pilgrimage. Rivers are the most popular locations for pilgrimage, but other features such as mountains and temples are also sites for worship, believed to be places where gods may have appeared.
How has the interaction of Hinduism with other religions or cultures caused conflict? Since the 1800s, Hinduism has been strongly challenged, after British colonial administrators introduced concepts to India. British administrators and Christian missionaries disagreed with the Hindu caste system in India. They were particularly opposed to the treatment of the untouchables, as they worked to demolish the caste system. The caste system still persists, government attempts to devise a quota system designed to give untouchables more places in the country s universities created strong opposition.
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