Religion in India By Dhruv, Henry, Tamara, Zach, Nadja

Dominant religions in India: Hinduism Hinduism  about 82% of population - various gods and goddesses… -Three main gods - Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer - Believe in reincarnation - Main books are the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda Four castes in Hindu religion  Brahman are the priests, Kshatria are the warriors, Viashya are business people, Sudra are common peasants and workers

Dominant religions in India: Islam about 12% Divided into 3 sects: Sunni, Shi’a, Sufism Their prophet is Muhammad Believe in one god named Allah There are 6 articles of belief  These are belief in God, in all the prophets, in the books, in the angels, in the day of judgment, in destiny Qur’an is main text

Dominant religions in India: Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism Christianity is about 2.5% Sikhism is about 2% Buddhism is about 0.7% Jainism is about 0.5%

Religions in India by Region Each Indian religion has its specific customs and traditions, which negotiate the boundary of religion, cast and creed Hinduism spread throughout most of India Ratio of Muslim population exceeds the national average in Lakshadweep Islands, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and West Bengal Christians largely concentrated in Goa, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala The Sikhs are mainly concentrated in Punjab Maharashtra has 85% of Buddhists living in India. The rest are minor religions and are dispersed around India.

Religions in India by Region (cont.)

Religious Conflicts Muslim-Hindu Conflict -began with persecution of Hindus during Islamic expansion in medieval period  destruction of temples Muslim-Sikh conflict -emerged in Punjab during Mughal period -High point 1606  Guru tortured and killed -his son turned the Sikhs into warrior community -Sikhs hope for creation of independent nation  did not get it when India was split  most of them went to Indian side rather than Pakistan Muslim-Christian conflict -fewer conflicts -during 16th, 17th and 18th Christians were systematically persecuted Muslim-Buddhist conflict boycott by Buddhists of Muslim in Leh district for 4 years -relations of the two improved after lifting boycott

Importance in Civil Life Within India, on a day-to-day basis, the vast majority of people engage in ritual actions, worship, and other religious activities. Country is dotted with temples and religious shrines. The local interaction between great traditions and local forms of worship and belief, based on village, caste, tribal, and linguistic differences, creates a range of ritual forms and mythology that varies widely throughout the country.