spheres of religion. The major religions of India are Hinduism
(majority religion), Islam (largest minority religion), Sikhism,
Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the
Bahá'í Faith. India is a land where people of different religions and
cultures live in harmony. This harmony is seen in the celebration of
festivals. The message of love and brotherhood is expressed by all the
religions and cultures of India.
Whether it's the gathering of the faithful,bowing in prayer in the
courtyard of a mosque, or the gathering of lamps that light up houses
at Diwali, the good cheer of Christmas or the brotherhood of Baisakhi,
the religions ofIndia are celebrations of shared emotion that bring
people together. People from the different religions and cultures of
India, unite in a common chord of brotherhood and amity in this
fascinating and diverse land.
Buddhism
At present Buddhism is one of the major world religions. The
philosophy of Buddhism is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha,
Siddhartha Gautama (563 and 483 BC), a royal prince of Kapilvastu,
India. After originating in India, Buddhism spread throughout the
Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast Asia, as well asthe East
Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
Christians
Christianity is one of the prominent religions in India. At present
there are about 25 million Christians in India. It is interesting to
note that the Christian population in India is more than theentire
population of Australia and New Zealand or total population of a
number of countries in Europe.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. Hinduism is world's
thirdlargest religion after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is the
dominant religion in India, where Hindus form about 84 per cent of the
total population. Hinduism is also known as "Sanatan Dharma" or the
everlasting religion.
Islam
One of the prominent religions of India, Islam forms about 12 per cent
of India's population. Though India's contact with Islam had begun
much earlier, the real push came in the 8th century when the province
of Sindh was conquered. Though the Muslims form only 12 percent of the
total population of India but the influence of Islam onIndian society
is much stronger.
Jainism
Jains form less than one percent of the Indian population. For
centuries, Jains are famous as community of traders and merchants. The
states of Gujarat andRajasthan have the highest concentration ofJain
population in India. The Jain religion is traced to Vardhamana
Mahavira (The Great Hero 599-527 B.C.).
Sikhism
Sikhs form about 2 per cent of Indian population. In comparison to
other religions, Sikhism is a younger religion. The word 'Sikh' means
a disciple and thus Sikhismis essentially the path of discipleship.
The true Sikh remains unattachedto worldly things.
Zoroastrian
Though the total number of Zoroastrians in Indian population is very
less yet they continue to be one of the important religious
communities of India. According to the 2001 census, there were around
70,000 members of the Zoroastrian faith in India. Most of the Parsis
(Zoroastrians) live in Maharashtra (mainly in Mumbai) and the rest in
Gujarat.
Guru Nanak Dev
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji is credited with starting the Sikh religion. He
wasthe first Guru of the Sikhs and is worshipped next to God. His sole
aim in life was to unify the Hindus and Muslims and form a universal
religionof brotherhood and compassion. He believed that true salvation
could be achieved only by devotion of thought andexcellence of
conduct.
Lord Mahavira
Lord Mahavira is often credited with the adventof Jainism in India.
However, Jainism existedeven before Lord Mahavira was born. He
issupposed to be the twenty-fourth (last) Tirthankara according tothe
Jain philosophy. A Tirthankara is an enlightened soul who is born as a
human being and attains perfection through intense meditation.
Adi Shankaracharya
One of the greatest philosophers of India, Adi Shankaracharya founded
the Advaita Vedanta, which is one ofthe sub-schools of Vedanta. Adi
Shankaracharya whole-heartedly believed in theconcept of the Vedas
butat the same time advocated against the rituals and religious
practices that were over exaggerated.
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