Details about the Hindu religion. The Gods. Stories. Tradition. Ceremonies. Recipes.

Hmm, this is certainly an intimidating topic. I mean I don't think any one person can do full justice to this topic. But, nevertheless, I would try to add my 2 cents.

BACKGROUND:

To start off, Hinduism was not founded by one single individual. There have been multiple sages who've written many of its scriptures through different periods, so its basically accumulated wisdom passed down through the ages. It is widely acknowledged as being one of the oldest religions of the world that is still practiced (around 5000 years old). It has close to a billion followers, most of whom are located in India. Other countries that have a substantial Hindu population include Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bali, Fiji among others.

ONE GOD OR MANY GODS:

Most non-Hindus think that Hindus worship many gods. But, this is in fact not true. Hindus do worship God in multiple forms, as deities, but all Hindus realize the fact that there is only one true God. Hindus don't fight for example over which god or goddess they worship coz there is the underlying realization that there is only one true God.

AVATARS:

Most of you would have heard of this word "avatar." However, few would know about its origins. This word has its origin in Sanskrit and it means the incarnation of God (a Hindu deity) in human form. Hindu scriptures talk about periods where God has descended to Earth in human form to restore virtue and educate humans on the right path. Krishna and Rama are the most well known avatars of Lord Vishnu.

VIEW OF OTHER RELIGIONS:

Hinduism allows its followers to form their own opinions. In the sense that, there is no compulsion imposed on the faithful. It allows its followers the freedom to choose their path to God. So, there is no proselytizing involved. Hindus would view someone following another religion with respect and understanding. They would not think that those who follow another religion are wrong. Coz, for a Hindu, the path does not matter. What matters is that you reach God through your devotion.

REINCARNATION:

One of the things that makes Hinduism different from some of the other religions (except Buddhism) is the belief in reincarnation. Hindus believe that the soul is immortal - that it cannot be destroyed. That death destroys only the body, but the soul continues to live. Hindus believe that the soul continues to go through the cycle of physical birth and death till it attains spiritual perfection - perfection enough that it can assimilate itself to the Supreme Being (God). Till that happens, Hindus believe that the cyle of birth and death continues for a soul. So, the soul is reborn into a new body, the body dies, the soul is reborn again till such time that it has achieved perfection.

THE STORIES:

Most Hindu kids grow up on a vast repository of stories and mythologies. The most famous of the mythologies are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Then there are the Upanishads and countless others.

TRADITIONS:

There are just so many traditions that I find it impossible to describe it all here.

CEREMONIES:

Same as above. Too many to elaborate.

RECIPIES:

Woa - need some help with that myself :) Any Indian out here, please post some.

Maybe someone else can elborate on those three. The subject is just so vast. Its impossible to cover it fully.