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Hindu idol by Sonika Agarwal from

Top 10 Facts About Hinduism

This Polytheistic Religion is the oldest of all religions and it has a global presence that accounts for billions of followers. Hinduism has unique concepts that govern Hindus such as the Dharma which dictates human behavior. Karma, reincarnation, and yoga are more practices that support Hinduism.

Additionally, several holy texts offer further guidance to the Hinduism traditions. On top of that, the festivals that take place throughout the year make Hinduism one of the most vibrant religions. For instance, the Diwali, Holi, Navratri, and Dussehra festivals are famous for invoking a lot of music and dance. Read on for more insights into Hinduism.

Here are the Top 10 Facts About Hinduism.

1. Hinduism is over 4000 years old

Ancient Hindu temple in India by Raimond Klavins from

Christianity is estimated to be a little over 2000 years old while Islam is a bit over 1300 years ago. That makes Hinduism the oldest religion in the world, dating over 4000 years ago.

Check out Facts about Vedic scholar Adi Shankara.

2. Hinduism has no supreme deity

It is a polytheistic religion which means they believe in many gods and goddesses alongside their sects and rituals. The religion鈥檚 key beliefs and practices are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism.

3. It鈥檚 the world鈥檚 third-largest religion

A Hindu faithful praying by Afiq Fatah from

Hinduism has about 1.2 billion followers which are 15-16% of the world鈥檚 population. This is third after Christianity and Islam.

Christianity has over 2.2 billion believers who make up 31.5% of the world’s population. Islam has at least 1.8 billion adherents equal to 23.3% of the world population. The majority of the Hindu population is found in India and Nepal.

4. Hinduism has many holy books

In Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita is one of the religion鈥檚 crucial scriptures. The 700 or so verses writing points out that the purpose of human life is a realization of one’s true self. It holds the belief that the human body, organs, and senses are to enable humanity to worship the divine.

The other holy scriptures in Hinduism are the Vedas, Upanishads (part of Vedas), and Yoga Vasishta. Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Puranas also make up Hindu holy scriptures.

5. Hinduism teaches karma

Photo by Swati H. Das from

Hindus believe that present actions affect people’s afterlife once they die. Additionally, they hold the thought that humans have a natural cycle of birth, life, death & rebirth which they call 鈥渟amsara鈥�.

Karma applies in the reincarnation (rebirth) stage. Hence good or bad deeds in the present life dictate the afterlife. Hinduism indicates that good deeds at the end of your life are rewarded with a better life after reincarnation.

Famous Spiritual Gurus in India

6. 108 is sacred to Hinduism

The number 108 is sacred to several religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jain beliefs. According to Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, 108 represented the wholeness of existence. Fibonacci lived during the 11^th century.

Furthermore, in Hinduism 108 is the basis of creation and representation of the universe and all its existence. This is according to the cosmology of the Vedas (Hindu religious texts).

7. Sanskrit is a Hindu religious language

This classical language belongs to the Indo-European languages specific to the Indo-Aryan people. It鈥檚 one of the oldest Indo-European languages used in ancient times in the greater Indian subcontinent.

To add on, many documents in this region were written in Sanskrit. For example, the Vedic Sanskrit dates to 1700-1200 BCE. Besides the Vedas, many of the other Hindu religious writing are written in the Sanskrit language.

8. Hinduism’s origin and founder are a mystery

Hindu deities by Vivek Sharma from

There is no clear narration of how Hinduism came about. It is believed to have evolved from Indian cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions.  Thus there is no exact date of when the religion originated.

What鈥檚 more, Hinduism has no specific founder credited for establishing the religion. Christians hold on to Jesus as the pillar of their faith while Islam regards Muhammad as their foundation. The Buddhists refer to Buddha and many other religious groups tend to have the core of their faith founded on an extraterrestrial being.

Subsequently, Hinduism draws authority from a large body of sacred texts. The texts provide Hindus with the guidelines that govern rituals, worship, pilgrimage, and everyday life activities.

9. Hinduism began as San膩tana Dharma

In the ancient Sanskrit language, the root word for Hinduism is San膩tana Dharma. The Greeks are responsible for coining the word Hindu or Indu. They used it to describe the people living around the Indus River.

Moreover, in the 13^th century, Hindustan was the popular reference for India. Afterward, around the 19^th century, English writers added the extension 鈥渋sm鈥� to the word Hindu in their writings. Later the word Hinduism spread throughout the world and was adopted as a formal address for the religion.

10. Yoga is a core practice in Hinduism

Hindu deity by Mayur Keni from

Many religions have a place for meditation (yoga) in their religious beliefs. Hinduism is no exception and yoga is a common practice for the Hindus.

According to Hindu texts, it鈥檚 a practice meant to control the senses and ultimately, the mind. The aim is to be able to connect with the Hindu gods. Either connect with a personal god called 鈥淰aikuntha鈥� or reach the god within humans called 鈥淎ntaryami鈥�.

Learn about the Jainism preacher Mahavira. 

Hinduism has unique quirks which have sparked controversy within religious circles. The caste system is a practice in Hinduism that promotes the grouping of members of society into defined social classes. The main classes are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.

This system has significant effects on the Hindus’ personal and social life. For example, it can influence the profession to pursue, where to live, whom to marry, and more.