OBJECTIVES:

ACTIVITIES:
I can describe
1. HINDUISM NOTES
major world beliefs. 2. DIWALI BRAINPOP

Key Words
Religion
Polytheism
(polytheistic)
Monotheism
(monotheistic)

Guiding Questions:
What are religions?
What are their main
beliefs?
What are the
similarities &
differences between
religions?

KEY WORD

DEFINITION

Belief in many
Polytheism
Gods
SKETCH

CONNECTIONS/EXAMPLES

HINDUISM
Ancient GREEKS,
EGYPTIANS,
ROMANS

HINDUISM

FOUNDER
There is no single
founder of Hinduism.

PLACE OF ORIGIN

Hinduism began in South Asia,

present day India.

Religions of the World

POPULATION
Hinduism is the
most popular
religion in modern
India and Nepal.
It is now the 3rd
largest religion in
the world with
almost 1 billion
followers.

GOD
Hinduism is a polytheistic
religion.
Hindus believe that there are
many gods and goddesses.
There is a constant struggle
between them (between order
and chaos).

THREE MAIN GODS

Brahma, the creator

of the universe.
Vishnu, the protector
of the universe.
Shiva, is the destroyer
of the universe.

THREE MAIN GODS

Shiva
Hindus believe that
Shiva periodically
destroys the world
in order to recreate
it and is the source
of both good and
evil.

SYMBOL

Om or Aum:
Represents
Brahman
universal soul,
used when
meditating

SYMBOL

Swastika:
This is an ancient
symbol of good
fortune or
protection

SYMBOL

Lotus Flower:
A beautiful flower that
blooms in swampy
water. For Hindus it
symbolizes birth.

HOLY BOOK

several holy
books including Vedas,
Hindus have

Upanishads, Bhavad-Gita and the epics

the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

MAIN BELIEFS
Hindus believe in

reincarnation:
at death a persons soul is
reborn as another living
thingthis creates an
endless cycle

MAIN BELIEFS

karma
Your behavior in this life will
determine your fate in the next
life
Good behavior means a higher
caste, bad behavior means a
lower caste when you are
reincarnated.

Main Beliefs
Dharma
This is the divine order and balance of
things. Each person is responsible to
maintain good order and balance in
their own lives.

Reincarnation, Karma, and

Dharma
So what does this all mean in the
end
If a person maintains good dharma, he
will have good karma at the end of his
life, and will receive a good
reincarnation. This brings a Hindu
closer to the ultimate goal of
enlightenment, or moksha.

Hinduism
The caste system was a system of
social organization in India. When a
person is born they are born into one of
four groups or as an untouchable. This
system has led to discrimination and
has been outlawed in India. Hindus still
debate whether the caste system is part
of Hinduism or an outdated social
custom.

Hinduism
A.
B.
C.
D.

The castes are:

Brahmins: Priests and leaders.
Kshatriyas: Warriors, nobles, and
kings.
Vaishyas: Farmers, traders, and
businessmen.
Shudras: Servants and poor farmers.

Main Beliefs

Sacred Objects:

1. Ganges
River (washes
away sins and
evil)

Main Beliefs

cow

2. A
is
also
considered
sacred.

(religious
Hindus do
not eat
beef).

PLACE OF WORSHIP

Temple

HOLIDAY

Diwali is a five day

festival of lights