Religion CPT

Part: Hinduism
By: Andrew Mailat
What is it and how many people.
Many scholars believe that Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, with roots and customs dating back over
4,000 years. With approximately 900 million adherents, Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion, after
Christianity and Islam. Approximately 95 percent of the world's Hindus live in India. Because there is no single
founder, tracing the religion's origins and history is difficult. Hinduism is unlike any other religion in that it is a
collection of many traditions and philosophies rather than a single religion.

Hinduism is a major world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent and is comprised of numerous
and diverse philosophical, religious, and ritual systems. Although the term "Hinduism" is relatively new, having
been coined in the early nineteenth century by British writers, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts
and practises, some of which date back to the second millennium BCE or possibly earlier.

Its numerous sacred texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a vehicle for spreading the religion
throughout the world, though ritual and the visual and performing arts also played important roles. Around the
4th century CE, Hinduism established a dominant presence in Southeast Asia that would last for more than
1,000 years.

Hinduism has about 80 percent of India’s population.

Sects of Hinduism
Hinduism has many sects, and is sometimes divided into the following:

- Shaivism (followers of Shiva)

- Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
- Shaktism (followers of Devi)
- Smarta (followers of Brahman and all major deities)
Hindu Caste System
The caste system is a social hierarchy in India that divides Hindus based on their karma and dharma.

The four main castes include:

- Brahmin: the intellectual and spiritual leaders

- Kshatriyas: the protectors and public servants of society
- Vaisyas: the skillful producers
- Shudras: the unskilled laborers

Many subcategories also exist within each caste. The “Untouchables” are a class of citizens that are outside the
caste system and considered to be in the lowest level of the social hierarchy.

For centuries, the caste system determined every aspect of a person’s social, professional and religious status
in India.

When India became an independent nation, its constitution banned discrimination based on caste.

Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely followed. Many of the old customs are overlooked, but
some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific caste, are still embraced.
Beliefs
As opposed to a single, organised religion, Hinduism embraces many religious ideas and
is sometimes referred to as a "way of life" or a "family of religions." Most forms of
Hinduism worship a single deity known as "Brahman," but other gods and goddesses are
also recognised. Followers believe that there are multiple paths to their god. Hindus
follow the samsara and karma doctrines. The concept of "atman," or the belief in soul, is
central to Hinduism. According to this philosophy, all living things have souls and are
part of the supreme soul. The goal is to attain "moksha," or salvation, which ends the
cycle of rebirths and allows the individual to become a part of the absolute soul. The idea
that people's actions and thoughts directly determine their current and future lives is a
fundamental principle of religion. Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of
conduct that emphasises morality and good behaviour. Hindus revere all living things
and regard the cow as a sacred animal. Other Indian religions, such as Buddhism,
Sikhism, and Jainism, are closely related to Hinduism.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=fgdD_WPQZp4
Where?
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India is home to the Shri
Kashi Vishwanath and Maa Annapurna temples. It is
one of India's most famous, sacred, and holy temples.
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located
near the sacred river. The temple is considered a
central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy by
Hindu scriptures. It had been demolished by many
Muslim rulers many times, most recently by
Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who
constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The
current structure was built on an adjacent site by the
Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in the year
1780. Since 1983, the temple has been managed by
the government of Uttar Pradesh.
 History
The Shiva Purana, a Hindu holy book, mentions
Jyoritlingas. Hindus believe that these are Lord Shiva's
structural manifestations and that they are Him.
Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh,
Mahakaleshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in
Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand,
Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath in Varanasi in
Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra,
Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra, abd Deogarh in
Deoghar.

This temple is located on Manikarnika Ghat and is a

Shakti Peeth, or place of worship for Hindus who practise
Shaktism. Daksha Yaga mentions the Shaktipeets' origin.
The Kashi Vishwanath temple has a seal of Lord
Avimukteshwara that was discovered during Rajghat
excavations and dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries
BC. Xuanzang's visit to Benaras in 635 CE also mentions
the temple. The Skanda Purana also mentions it.
Design and key factors
The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines located near the river
in a small lane known as the Vishwanatha Galli. The main deity's linga at the
shrine is 60 centimetres tall and 90 centimetres in circumference, and it is
housed in a silver altar. The main temple is a quadrangle surrounded by shrines
dedicated to other gods. The complex contains small temples dedicated to Kala
Bhairava, Kartikeya, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Ganesha, Shani, Shiva, and
Parvati.
The Jnana Vapi, also spelled Gyan vapi, is a small well in the temple. The Jnana
Vapi well is located to the north of the main temple, and during the Mughal
invasion, the Jyotirlinga was hidden in the well to protect it. It is said that the
temple's main priest jumped into the well with the lingam to protect the
Jyotirlinga from invaders.
The outer Garbha Griha or Sanctum Sanctorum is connected by a Sabha Griha
or Congregation Hall. The revered Jyotirlinga is a dark brown stone that is
enshrined in the Sanctum and is placed on a silver platform. The Mandir's
structure is divided into three sections. The first is a spire atop the temple. The
second structure is a gold dome, and the third is a gold spire atop the sanctum
that bears a flag and a trident.
Every day, around 3,000 people visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple. On rare
occasions, the figures reach 1,000,000 or higher. The temple's 15.5-metre-high
gold spire and gold dome are notable features. The three domes are made of
pure gold and were donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835.
Who and why goes there?
Varanasi, located on the banks of the sacred Ganges, is considered
one of the holiest Hindu cities. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is
widely regarded as one of the most important Hindu religious sites.
The Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishveshvara or Vishvanath, is housed
within the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Vishveshvara Jyotirlinga
holds a very special and unique place in India's spiritual history.
Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami
Vivekananda, Bamakhyapa, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda
Saraswati, Sathya Sai Baba, Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami
Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj, and Gurunanak were among the
many visiting saints. A visit to the temple and a bath in the Ganges
are two of the many methods thought to lead to Moksha. As a result,
Hindus from all over the world make an effort to visit the site at least
once in their lives.
There is also a tradition that after a pilgrimage to the temple, one
should give up at least one desire, and the pilgrimage would also
include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu in
Southern India, where people take water samples from the Ganges to
perform prayer at the temple and bring back sand from near that
temple. Hundreds of temples in India have been built in the same
architectural style as a result of the immense popularity and
holiness of Kashi Vishwanath temple.
How do people express their faith there?
People who visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple express
their faith by worshipping within the temple and
bathing in the Ganges river, as it is regarded as a high
and holy temple within the Hindu religion. This
inspires Hindus from all over the world to come to the
temple in order to be liberated and blessed by their
gods.

Many Hinduism traditions involve followers giving up

one desire after visiting a temple to demonstrate how
strong their faith is within their religion.

They would also take part in the act, where people

would collect water samples and sand from the
Ganges River and use it to perform prayers to
worship.
Mahabodhi Temple

https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=8
_Rb04JWVcI
Video
Where?
The Mahabodhi Temple is one of Buddhism's holiest
sites, commemorating the location of the Buddha's
enlightenment. It is situated on the banks of the
Niranjana River in Bodh Gaya. For Buddhists, the
Mahabodhi Temple is the holiest place on the planet.
It is regarded as the earth's navel, the location that
will vanish last at the next end of the world and
appear first at the next recreation of the world. That
demonstrates the enormous significance attached to
Buddha's Enlightenment experience. The city of
Buddha's Awakening or Enlightenment, Bodh Gaya,
became the most holy pilgrimage city in Buddhism,
and the Mahabodhi Temple area became the most
holy place in Bodh Gaya. Noting the significance of
Awakening in the Buddhist faith emphasises the
significance of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.
History
According to legend, Gautama Buddha, while wandering as a monk, arrived on the sylvan banks of the Falgu
River near Gaya, India, around 530 B.C.E. He sat in meditation under a peepul tree, later known as the Bodhi
tree. According to Buddhist scriptures, Siddharta attained enlightenment and the answers he sought after
three days and three nights. Devotees constructed the Mahabodhi Temple to commemorate that location.

The Buddha then spent the next seven weeks meditating and reflecting on his experience in seven different
locations around the area. Several locations at the current Mahabodhi Temple are associated with the
traditions surrounding these seven weeks:

● He spent the first week under the Bodhi tree.

● During the second week, the Buddha remained standing and stared, uninterrupted, at the Bodhi tree.
The Animeshlocha Stupa, that is, the unblinking stupa or shrine, located on the north-east of the
Mahabodhi Temple complex marks that spot. A statute of Buddha with his eyes fixed towards the Bodhi
tree stands there.
● Legend says that the Buddha walked back and forth between the location of the Animeshlocha Stupa and
the Bodhi tree. According to legend, lotus flowers sprung up along the route, now called Ratnachakarma
or the jewel walk.
Bonus History
Buddhist Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya in about 250 B.C.E., about 250 years after the Buddha attained
Enlightenment, with the intention of establishing a monastery and shrine. He built the diamond throne (called
the Vajrasana) as part of the temple, attempting to mark the exact location of the Buddha's enlightenment.
Asoka is regarded as the Mahabodhi Temple's founder.

Muslim armies invaded Bodh Gaya and the surrounding areas in the twelfth century C.E. During this time, the
Mahabodhi Temple fell into disrepair and was mostly abandoned. Hindus founded a monastery near Bodh Gaya
in the sixteenth century. Over the centuries, the monastery's abbot, or mahant, became the primary landowner
in the area, claiming ownership of the Mahabodhi Temple grounds.

Under the direction of Sir Alexander Cunningham, the British government of India began to restore the
Mahabodhi Temple in the 1880s. Shortly after, in 1891, the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala
launched a campaign to reclaim control of the temple from the mahant, despite the mahant's objections. The
campaign, which was partially successful in 1949, resulted in control shifting from the Hindu mahant to the
Bihar state government, which established a temple management committee.
Design and key factors
The Mahabodhi Temple is made of brick and is one of
the oldest brick structures in eastern India. It is
regarded as a fine example of Indian brickwork and
had a significant impact on the development of later
architectural traditions. "The present temple is one of
the earliest and most imposing structures built
entirely in brick from the Gupta period," according to
UNESCO. The central tower of the Mahabodhi Temple
rises 55 metres and was extensively renovated in the
nineteenth century. Four smaller towers built in the
same style surround the central tower. The
Mahabodhi Temple is surrounded on all four sides by
two-metre-high stone railings. Railings reveal two
distinct types, both in terms of style and materials
used. The older ones, made of sandstone, are thought
to be from around 150 BCE, while the others, made of
unpolished coarse granite, are thought to be from the
Gupta period. The older railings depict Lakshmi, the
Hindu/Buddhist goddess of wealth, being bathed by
elephants, and Surya, the Hindu sun god, riding a
chariot drawn by four horses.
Who goes and why there?
The site contains a descendant of the Bodhi Tree,
under which Buddha attained enlightenment, and
has been a major pilgrimage site for Hindus and
Buddhists for well over two thousand years, with
some elements dating back to the Ashoka period.

There are currently plans in the works to

illuminate the approach to the Mahabodhi Temple
Complex.

Throughout the year, a sound and light show

depicting Buddha's life and events at this historic
site is also presented.

There are currently around 400,000 visitors per

year who come to see these festivals or to pray and
see the location where the Buddha attained
enlightenment.
How do people express their faith there?
Rituals and parades are common ways for people to
express their faith while visiting this temple.

Devotees who go there usually worship the things in

which they believe and send prayers to their loved
ones.

There are also annual festivals, such as wedding

ceremonies. Some festivals include the Vasantham
festival, the Unjal festival, the Mulai-Koftu festival,
and the Kumbh Mela. Each of the festivals are
important in their own ways.
Work Cited
History.com Editors. (2017, October 6). Hinduism. History.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism#:~:text=Hinduism%20is%20the%20world's%20oldest,world's%20Hindus%20live%20in%20India.

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, January 18). Kashi vishwanath temple. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashi_Vishwanath_Temple#Temple_Structure

Mahabodhi Temple. Mahabodhi Temple - New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mahabodhi_Temple

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, January 24). Mahabodhi Temple. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, January 5). Bodh Gaya. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya#Mahabodhi_Temple

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Mahabodhi Temple. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mahabodhi-Temple

Shri Kashi Vishwanath official web portal. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Official Web Portal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://www.shrikashivishwanath.org/

Shree Kashi Vishvanath temple. Shree Kashi Vishvanath Temple | District Varanasi, Government of Uttar Pradesh | India. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2022,
from https://varanasi.nic.in/tourist-place/shri-kashi-vishwanath-temple/

Trivedi, T., Narang, A., & Desk, T. F. I. P. O. S. T. N. (2021, December 12). The story of how Kashi Vishwanath Mandir was destroyed, restored and finally
re-established. TFIPOST. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from
https://tfipost.com/2021/12/the-story-of-how-kashi-vishwanath-mandir-was-destroyed-restored-and-finally-re-established/