The world Hindu originally was the Persian rendering of the Indian word Sindhu-the Sanskrit name of the river Indus. The Persian name Hindu must have come into being in the 6 th century B.C. when the territory round Indus formed part of the Persian Empire. But the name disappeared from India, with the exit of the Persians. It came back to India, centuries later, with the Muslim invasions from the north west.
At that time, however, the word Hindi simply meant Indian and had no religious connection. Subsequently, under the Mughal emperors, the word assumed a religious tint and under the British it came to be applied exclusively to the people, who followed the age-old religion of India.
The basis of Hinduism lies in the four Vedas of the Aryans. The word is derived from vid, to know. The Vedas are known as sruti, or that which is heard or revealed. The orthodox Hindus think that the Vedas are anandi, without a beginning. Others believe that the Vedas were revealed to ancient rishia (sages).
The Rigveda is the earliest and the most important of the four Vedas. It is the oldest scripture in the world having been composed in the third millennium B.C. it consists of over 100 hymns. Each Veda is divides into mantras (hymns), Brahmans that explain the mantras.
When the Aryans came to India, they encountered a highly civilized people- the Dravidians - the builders of the civilization of the Indus Valley. They defeated the Dravidians and probably enslaved them.
The mainstay of popular Hinduism is the later Vedic literature, which consists of the puranas (old stories) and itihasas (epics). There are 18 purans. Some purans are believed to date back to the pre-Christian era. But many are believed to have been written between the 3 rd and the 7 Th centuries A.D. The itihasas or epics are two ? the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The imprimatur or theological sanction for pja is found in the Bhagavad-Gita Gita, which is the bedrock of modern Hinduism. When Buddhism rose as a challenge to orthodox Hinduism, Hinduism reacted by sanctifying the Buddha as an avatar (Incarnation) of Vishnu. Similarly, the Jain idea of non-violence or non-injury to living things appealed to many people as a gospel of mercy.
From time to time, Hindu reformers have sprung up, brilliant intellects and devout ascetics like Sansaracharya (8 the century A.D.),
Ramanuja (12 the century) and Madhwa (13 th century)-who have not merely restored popular faith but also countered heretical or fissiparous tendencies, by a re-interpretation of Hindu philosophy and reformation of Hindu practices, to meet the demands of the times.
Modern Hinduism may be dated from the days of Sri Sankaracharya, more than 1000 yrs. Ago. He is by far the greatest of Hindu reformers. He purged Hinduism of many evil cults and practices. Ramanuja (12 th century) and Madhwa (1238 A.D.), the next great reformer, they modified Sankara's philosophy. The renovation of Hinduism started by this great trio of South India and continued by a number of Saints and Sagas in the rest of India. The most famous leader of the Mission was Swami Vivekanand, carried the message of Hinduism to far off countries like USA. The Ramakrishna Mission stands for social and religious reform, based on the ancient culture of India.
Hindu epics and Puranas make for sumptuous food for the imagination and are. They are replete with colorful and fascinating gods, goddesses and characters, whose visual representations in Hindu Paintings are equally imaginative. Colorful portraits of Hindu Gods and Goddesses adorn the walls and puja rooms (prayer rooms) of almost every Hindu household in India. In fact it can be safely said that these Hindu Paintings have today become a part of the Indian psyche.
But if we were to stop and wonder how Saraswati (the Hindu Goddess of Learning) got her face and why Shakuntala looks like she does then we will have to direct our question to a single person, Raja Ravi Verma, a man who single handedly revolutionized the way Indians perceived their Gods. Raja Ravi Varma started painting the Hindu deities with proportionate bodies, clearly drawn prominent features and of course with the appropriate ornaments. Before Verma the depiction of Hindu deities can be best called crude. They were merely symbolic representation of the deities and had no aesthetic appeal.
The Raja Ravi Verma Style of Hindu Paintings Apart from giving the Hindu deities proportionate and aesthetically appealing form, Raja Ravi Verma was also a pioneer in the field of proper visual representation of the Epics and puranas. A stickler for details, he focused on every little thing, which made his portraits a composite whole. Like the four hands of Lakshmi, holding a conch in one hand, lotus and appropriate instruments in the others.
His chosen medium of painting was oil and he brought in the aspect of western realism in most of his paintings. He closely read the epics to capture the essence of each crucial scene, like in the Shakuntala and Damayanti portraits.
His focus on the vahanas or the vehicles of the deities is also noteworthy; Saraswati's swan received as much artistic attention as the Goddess herself. Such attention to little details makes him the institution that he is today. The realism in form and proportion was achieved mainly because he used human models; in fact he was the first Indian to master perspective and the first to use human models to depict Hindu gods and goddesses. The colors used were primarily red, yellow and green but he was well known for blending them together and creating softer hues.
The Calendar Art Quality of Hindu Paintings Today you can see faces of Hindu Gods and Goddesses (as represented by Raja Ravi Verma) staring at you from the oddest of places- t-shirts, accessories, calendars, CD covers and what not. It's the colorful quality of Hindu Paintings that has popularized it and made it kitsch.
Indeed, Raja Ravi Verma has found admiration from the most unexpected quarters. Hindu Paintings have long transcended their religious value; today they are seen as objected arts.
Hinduism can be described as the 'museum' of religions. No other religious tradition is so eclectic, so diversified in its theoretical premises as well as its practical expression. Hinduism can be called as Sanatana Dharma or the religion Perenis. As the name implies ananta (without a beginning), it is eternal and ever-lasting (Shashvata). It is the only major religion which has not been traced to a specific founder and the only one which does not have a holy book as the one and only scriptural authority. Sacred texts of Hindu religion consists of Vedas, Upanishads Bhagavad Gita etc. Hinduism always absorbs anything that is good and valuable and at the same time, it shares its wisdom with whomever earnestly seeks it. Its doors are open to all.
Hinduism does not attempt at conversion. It is against any forceful conversion or inflictions on the non-believers. Its faith is that all men are born, children of Sanatana Dharma. Once people become aware of this inheritance and follow its universal principles, there is no need for any further conversion. Even the most uncompromising atheist finds a place in Sanatana Dharma and his philosophy and way of life are duly noticed and his arguments heard with all patience. This arises from the belief that even such a person may one day realise his fundamental values of life and become a follower of Dharma.
Hinduism has not only recognised the different aptitudes and temperaments of people but devised ways of life, catering to such needs. It has also divided individual life into different stages or ashramas. Thus a child is treated as an Anupanita or uninitiated, lives a life of discipline and study and acquires knowledge and virtue (Brahmacharya ashrama). He leads a life of voluntary poverty, subjects himself to strict disciplining of his senses and mind and becomes a well groomed and highly cultured person. Then he marries and leads a family life (Grihastha ashrama) and brings up his children in the right traditions. By learning the Vedas, offering sacrifices to gods and begetting a son, he pays off the three debts --debt to sages, to gods and the manes. As he grows older, he becomes a forest dweller (Vanaprastha Ashrama) with all passions and prejudices removed. There perhaps is no better scheme of life, that harmonises the needs and the development of the individual and society in such a well knit fashion. Thus the Sanatana Dharma emphasises a comprehensive view of life which aims at the realization of both Abhyudaya and Nishreyas - worldly prosperity and spiritual good.
Hinduism is not pessimistic. It has always exhorted men to realize the four Purusharthas or values of Life, namely Dharma (righteousness) Artha (wealth) Kama (desire) and Moksha( liberation). Only it has insisted that wealth and enjoyment should be based on Dharma and aim at Moksha.
One of the aspects of Hinduism that is considered to be not in keeping with the modern democratic tendencies is its "caste-system". The Brahmins (priests, teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors, rulers), Vaisyas (traders, merchants) and Sudras (unskilled workers) were four castes in the society. Originally in the Vedas it was conceived as a system for the proper division of functions in society and it was not rigid and birth -oriented. Later the system deteriorated and the original intention was totally lost. With the passage of time the caste system became over ridden with dust and filth. Birth became the determinative factor for establishing one's caste and the caste system led to social exploitation in Hindu society. Brahmins and Kshatriyas who were the high castes had certain privileges as compared to other low castes. The impregnable edifice of the caste barrier is crumbling. But caste system has never been a bar against God-realisation. Some of India's greatest saints, who were and are still being venerated even by the highest of Brahmans, have sprung from among the so called untouchables. Sanyasis who are in the height of spiritual evolution, have no caste at all. Even when a Brahman takes Sanyas, he has to give up his caste.
Another important aspect of Hinduism is its free scope for philosophic thought. The six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy, namely, the Nyaya, the Vaiseshika, the Sankhya, the Yoga, the Mimamsa and the Vedanta, as also the heterodox systems like the Charvaka, the Buddha and the Jaina and many a religious movement started by synthesisers have allowed for a wide diversity of thought.
Everything that the Hindu does is God-centered. Hinduism believes in avataras or incarnations of God on earth in human or other form. The doctrine of 'avatara' is a perpetual reminder for a Hindu that he should not stick to outward forms but regard everything as manifestation of divinity and revitalise his life by the new energy from the surroundings.
In Hinduism, the ultimate goal is 'Moksha'; the liberation from the cycle of existence. There are many paths leading to this goal. Until moksha is attained, all human beings are subject to rebirth. The conditions of life in each birth are determined by the cumulative results of the karma (deeds) performed in previous life.
A whole scheme of rituals is detailed for all and they are known as Samskaras, with them the man becomes a rounded, integrated personality, a 'Purna Purusha'. The rituals are so designed as to bring a harmony in the economic, educational, cultural and spiritual aspects of human life. In one sense what unites the wide and varying philosophic learnings and devotional practices of Hindus are the common ideals which they all stand for.
A Hindu is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. There are approximately 920 million Hindus of the world population making Hinduism the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam; of these, about 890 million live in India, and 30 million in the Hindu diaspora. Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Guyana, Nepal, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The actual term “Hindu” first occurs as an Old Persian geographical term (derived from the river Sindhu), to identify the people who lived beyond the River Indus. However, the modern origin is derived from the Arabic texts - Al-Hind (the Hind) referring to 'the land of the people of modern day India' - which then got vernacularised as Hindu. In the world history “Hindu” was also used by all Mughal Empires and towards the end of the eighteenth century by the British to refer to the people of “Hindustan”, the area of northern and adjoining northwestern India. Eventually “Hindu” became equivalent to anybody of “Indian” origin who was not otherwise Sikh, Jain, or belonged to a religion of Abrahamic denomination, thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices.
When and how the word 'Hindu" was coined is not precisely established. It is absent in early sacred literature of Indian origin. It was used for the people inhabiting the lands of river Sindhu. Regular usage of the word is encountered in the accounts of foreign invaders of the medieval period, to describe collectively the followers of Indian religions.
One of the accepted views is that “ism” was added to “Hindu” around 1830 to denote the culture and religion of the high-caste Brahmans in contrast to other religions. The term was soon appropriated by Indians themselves as they tried to establish a national identity opposed to colonialism.
Due to the wide diversity in the beliefs, practices and traditions encompassed by Hinduism, there is no universally accepted definition on who a Hindu is, or even agreement on whether Hinduism represents a religious, cultural or socio-political entity. In 1995, Chief Justice P. B. Gajendragadkar was quoted in an Indian Supreme Court ruling:
"When we think of the Hindu religion, unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion of creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more."
Thus some scholars argue that the Hinduism is not a religion per se but rather a reification of a diverse set of traditions and practices by scholars who constituted a unified system and arbitrarily labeled it Hinduism. The usage may also have been necessitated by the desire to distinguish between "Hindus" and followers of other religions during the periodic census undertaken by the colonial British government in India. Other scholars, while seeing Hinduism as a 19th century construct, view Hinduism as a response to British colonialism by Indian nationalists who forged a unified tradition centered on oral and written Sanskrit texts adopted as scriptures.
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