What are some interesting facts about Hinduism?
If you’ve enjoyed reading about Hinduism, why not use this handy Hinduism fact file to learn some fun facts about Hinduism? Then, see how many Hindu facts you can memorize and impress your family and friends!
- To kick off our Hinduism fun facts, did you know Hinduism is the world’s third-largest religion after Christianity and Islam?
- Another exciting fact about Hinduism, 90% of Hindus live in India!
- Two other religions have originated from Hinduism: Sikhism and Buddhism.
- Worldwide, over 1.1 billion Hindus are around 16% of the global population!
- Nature is essential to Hindus; many believe that some rivers are sacred and can help you wash away sins. For example, the River Ganges is a river in India that many Hindus believe is sacred.
- Most Hindus are vegetarian because it minimizes the harm caused to other life forms. Some Hindus also believe a vegetarian diet purifies the body and mind.
- While there are Hindu temples, many Hindu households have an area of their house that they also worship; this is known as a ‘shrine.’ Hindu places of worship are called mandir.
- In 2013, 30 million Hindus celebrated Kumbh Mela, a special pilgrimage that only happens every 12 years. It meant it was the largest gathering of humans ever witnessed!
- Unlike Christianity and Islam, Hinduism doesn’t have a particularholy book but instead has many ancient texts and scriptures.
- Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world – some Hindu traditions started over 3000 years ago!
- In Hinduism, the supreme God is called the ‘Brahman.’ All other gods worshipped by Hindus are believed to be a different part of Brahman.
- A mooo-st know a fun fact about Hinduism – cows are considered sacred by Hindus.
- Hindu temples around the world always have an orange flag outside, even if they look slightly different.
- In Hinduism, worship is called Puja.
- Ganesh is a good luck symbol for Hindus; he is a god with the body of a man and the head of an elephant; this is because so many Hindus will pray to Ganesh when they’re starting something new!
- Because the Hindu religion is so old, people aren’t sure of its origins or who started it!
- Many Hindus believe in something called karma; this is the belief that everything a person experiences in their current life is because of their actions in a past life.
- an important symbol in Hinduism is the ‘Om’ or ‘Aum.’ It is also said by some Hindus three times before chanting prayers.
- Only a few Hindusim facts are left! Hindus refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma which means ‘the eternal law’ or ‘eternal teaching.’
- During Diwali, Hindus draw beautiful patterns called ‘rangoli.’ Rangoli are made using powders made from colorful flowers, and Hindus place them at the entrance of their homes to welcome gods and bring good luck.
Are you looking for MORE facts about Hinduism?
Hinduism is a super exciting religion to learn about; there’s certainly no end to exciting facts about Hinduism! So if you’re hungry for even more Hindu facts, how about ten facts about Hindu gods for your Hinduism fact file?
10 Facts About Hinduism’s Gods and Goddesses
- Brahma, the Creator. Brahma is the first of three gods known as the Hindu Trinity. He is also known as ‘the Creator’ because Hindus believe he creates everything in the universe.
- The second member of the Hindu Trinity, Vishnu is the second member of the Hindu Trinity. Vishnu keeps harmony in the universe between Brahma and Shiva.
- Shiva is the third member of the Hindu Trinity. He is also known as ‘the Destroyer,’ which sounds worrying but is part of the regeneration cycle that Hindus believe in. Shiva must destroy for things to renew or grow. So as Brahma creates, Shiva destroys, and vice versa, in a cycle that Vishnu keeps harmony over.
- Another name Hindus have for gods and goddesses is deva, meaning “heavenly” or “divine.” Deva is the masculine name; the feminine name is Devi.
- What about some fun facts about Hindu goddesses? Saraswati is the wife of Brahma and the goddess of many beautiful things, such as knowledge, wisdom, music, and art. How does she have the time for all of these things? She has four arms to help her!
- Another famous Hindu goddess is Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, power, beauty, and general prosperity. She is married to Vishnu.
- Lakshmi’s image has been found across many remains of ancient civilizations, on coins and statues, supporting the idea that Hinduism is an ancient religion, even if we don’t know how old!
- A third Hindu goddess is Parvati, the goddess of harmony, devotion, and motherhood. She is married to Shiva and is the mother of Ganesh.
- Along with Lakshmi and Sarawati, Parvati is part of another Hindu trinity called the ‘Tridevi,’ similar to the Hindu Trinity of their husbands, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.
- It might take a long time to learn about all the Hindu gods and goddesses – there are approximately 33 million in total!
