How old are Hinduism and the origins of the religion?

Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions and is also the world’s third-largest religion. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is followed by Christianity and Islam. Again, about 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. However, the question arises of how old the religion is. In this article, you will get to know everything about religion starting from facts to myths.

According to many scholars, with roots and traditions dating back more than 4,000 years. Hinduism does not have any specific founder. Thus it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Again, Hinduism does not restrict to single religion but is a collection of many traditions and philosophies.

What are some Hinduism Beliefs?

Religion surrounds various ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or a “family of religions.” Also, most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god.

Hindus also assume 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 the soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the ultimate soul.

Further, one vital belief of religion is the idea that people’s actions and thoughts directly specify their current life and future lives. People strive to attain dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and morality.

Another belief is that Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.

Hinduism Symbols

There are two primary symbols associated with Hinduism, the om and the swastika. The word swastika means “good fortune” or “being happy” in Sanskrit, and the symbol represents good luck. (A diagonal version of the swastika later became associated with Germany’s Nazi Party when they made it their symbol in 1920.)

The om symbol is composed of three Sanskrit letters and represents three sounds (a, u, and m), which when combined are considered sacred sounds. The om symbol is often found at family shrines and in Hindu temples.

Origins of Hinduism

Talking about the origins, most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. However, Hindus disagree and state that their faith is timeless and has always existed.

Notably, around 1500 B.C., the Indo-Aryan people left for the Indus Valley, and their language and people blended with that of the indigenous people living in the region. The period when the Vedas were formulated became known as the “Vedic Period” and lasted from about 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rituals, such as sacrifices and chanting, were common in the Vedic Period.

The Epic, Puranic, and Classic Periods took place between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. Hindus began to emphasize the worship of deities, especially Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi. Further, the concept of dharma was taught in new texts, and other faiths, such as Buddhism and Jainism, spread rapidly.

Summing up, religion is decades old and it is widely followed in India especially being mixed up with various ideologies.