What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life, recognizing the divine is infinite and embraces all creation and beyond. It is the world's third-largest religion, with over 1.2 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C., but many Hindus argue that their faith is timeless and has always existed. However, unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but instead is a fusion of various beliefs including, the Vedas and Buddhism.

Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect). One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they're all part of the supreme soul, Braham or God. Hinduism is also often considered a polytheistic faith, as the religion does not advocate the worship of one deity but includes an abundance of deities each one representing a certain aspect or worldly extension of the Supreme, Brahma because they are all manifestations of the same divine spirit. There are deities represented in the family, the community, and the region of the country. There are deities recog