1. Hinduism Kanchipuram Temple
Thiruneer or Vibhuthi means :: Atma –Your Soul, Jeevatma- Your body and the soul, Paramatma-God
Kungumum means :: Red Powder made from lemon juice and turmeric. To

2. Introduction
Hinduism is a rich and varied religion. It could not be summed up in a set of unified beliefs and practices and has no single founder. However, there is a long tradition of spiritual teachers. There is not one holy book but several collections of sacred writing. Spiritual truth can be revealed in different forms and Hindus recognise the authority of this saint or spiritual teacher as the words of the sacred text, which carry the authority of the God. Many Hindus follow the teachings a guru or spiritual teacher. Some Hindus belong to ‘Krishna Consciousness Movement’ and look to the example of the teachings of the Bengali saint Chaitanya, who taught his followers to accept Krishna as the Supreme Lord.

3. How did the name Hinduism evolve?
The word Hindu originally was the Persian rendering of the Indian word Sindhu-the Sanskrit name of the river Indus. The Persian name Hindu must have come into being in the 6 th century B.C. when the territory round Indus formed part of the Persian Empire. But the name disappeared from India, with the exit of the Persians. It came back to India, centuries later, with the Muslim invasions from the north – west. At that time, however, the word Hindi simply meant Indian and had no religious connection. Subsequently, under the Mughal emperors, the word assumed a religious tint and under the British it came to be applied exclusively to the people, who followed the age-old religion of India. The basis of Hinduism lies in the four Vedas of the Aryans. The word is derived from vid, to know. The Vedas are known as sruti, or that which is heard or revealed. The orthodox Hindus think that the Vedas are anandi, without a beginning. Others believe that the Vedas were revealed to ancient rishia (sages). The Rigveda is the earliest and the most important of the four Vedas. It is the oldest scripture in the world having been composed in the third millennium B.C. it consists of over 100 hymns. Each Veda is divides into mantras (hymns), Brahmans that explain the mantras. When the Aryans came to India, they encountered a highly civilized people- the Dravidians - the builders of the civilization of the Indus Valley. They defeated the Dravidians and probably enslaved them. The mainstay of popular Hinduism is the later Vedic literature, which consists of the puranas (old stories) and itihasas (epics). There are 18 purans. Some purans are believed to date back to the pre-Christian era. But many are believed to have been written between the 3 rd and the 7 Th centuries A.D. The itihasas or epics are two – the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The imprimatur or theological sanction for pja is found in the Bhagavad-Gita Gita, which is the bedrock of modern Hinduism. When Buddhism rose as a challenge to orthodox Hinduism, Hinduism reacted by sanctifying the Buddha as an avatar (Incarnation) of Vishnu. Similarly, the Jain idea of non-violence or non-injury to living things appealed to many people as a gospel of mercy. From time to time, Hindu reformers have sprung up, brilliant intellects and devout ascetics like Sansaracharya (8 the century A.D.), Ramanuja (12 the century) and Madhwa (13 th century)-who have not merely restored popular faith but also countered heretical or fissiparous tendencies, by a re-interpretation of Hindu philosophy and reformation of Hindu practices, to meet the demands of the times. Modern Hinduism may be dated from the days of Sri Sankaracharya, more than 1000 yrs. Ago. He is by far the greatest of Hindu reformers. He purged Hinduism of many evil cults and practices. Ramanuja (12 th century) and Madhwa (1238 A.D.), the next great reformer, they modified Sankara's philosophy. The renovation of Hinduism started by this great trio of South India and continued by a number of Saints and Sagas in the rest of India. The most famous leader of the Mission was Swami Vivekanand, carried the message of Hinduism to far off countries like USA. The Ramakrishna Mission stands for social and religious reform, based on the ancient culture of India.

4. Lord Ganesha
This God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles is also the older son of Lord Shiva. Lord Ganesha is also called Vinayaka (knowledgeable) or Vighneshwer (god to remove obstacles). He is worshipped in the beginning of any auspicious performance for blessings and auspiciousness. He has four hands, elephant's head and a big stomach. His vehicle is a tiny mouse. In his hands he carries a rope (to carry devotees to the truth), an axe (to cut devotees' attachments), and a sweet dessert ball, laddoo, (to reward devotees for spiritual activity). His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people. A unique combination of his elephant-like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intelligence and presence of mind.

5. Lord Shiva
Lord Shiva is the great Yoga ascetic, the Lord of the Dance. He is the universal teacher, the omnipresent and all knowing. Shiva assumes all forms. Originally known in the Vedas as Rudra, Shiva is also identified with the god of fire, Agni. As the Vedic Rudra, Shiva appears to be a terrible god-- the Destroyer--who always needs to be pacified. When worshipped, however, Shiva/Rudra becomes a beneficent deity. As further synthesis occurs between Vedic and Aryan religion, Shiva becomes the Auspicious. He is the supreme God of Medicine, who protects both animals and humans from disease. He is male and female, Shiva and Shakti, thus encompassing the total possibilities of human form.

6. Lord Vishnu
The ten incarnations of Vishnu is a Hindu theological concept in Vedic history. Vishnu exists as the Creator and also within every being as our soul, our Supreme. He also enters or descend to our world in the form of Avatar whenever his presence is needed. The Ten Avatars or Dasha Avatar of Vishnu are important and very interesting as you can see that he incarnates progressively from fish to human form. The nine Avatars are: 1.Matsya - The Fish 2. Kurma- The Tortoise 3. Varaha- The Boar 4. Narasimha- The Man-Lion 5. Vamana - The Dwarf 6. Parasurama - The Warrior 7. Sri Rama - The King 8. Sri Krishna - The Cowherd 9. Kalki - The Slayer

7. Lord Brahma
Brahma is the Lord of creation and is assisted in this process by his consort Saraswathi, who is the possessor of ultimate knowledge. Brahma was born from the navel of Lord Vishnu at the end of one cycle to begin a fresh creation. He has four heads (originally five), representing the four vedas, which are said to have sprung from his heads. His four heads are also said to represent the four yugas (cycle of life on earth). He is bearded & his eyes are closed in meditation. He sits on a lotus & his vehicle is the swan. In his four arms he holds the Vedas, the kamandal (water pot), suruva (sacrificial spoon) & a mala. He is a serene soul and is the provider of all sources of knowledge & wisdom.

8. Mayura (mayil in Tamil) means peacock
Mayura (mayil in Tamil) means peacock. Vahana is a form in which Subrahmanya is seated on a peacock. The peacock was associated with Karthikeya since the Gupta period as noted in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa (5th century AD). As Sikhivahana, Subrahmanya has one face, three eyes and four hands The hands bear the abhaya mudra, varada mudra, sakti and vajra. His peacock vehicle is called Indranilaratha. The Sritattvanidhi associates the other forms of Muruga like Karthikeya, Shanmuga and Desika with the peacock. They are ten, twelve and six-handed.
Lord Muruga

9. Goddess Kali
Goddess Kali is another form of Goddess Durga or Parvati. She is goddess of destruction. She has eight hands and great power and energy (Shakti). Kali rides on a corpse of a demon. In her terrifying aspects, the most commonly worshipped forms are Durga & Kali. These are forms taken by the Goddess in an effort to destroy some form of evil & hence even these forms need not invoke fear, for she is the mother who has risen in anger only to destroy evil forces and provide eternal happiness and peace to her children. As Kali (the Goddess of Time) she presents the most terrifying aspect, usually seen in a burial or war field. She is standing on a dead body with her hair let loose and disheveled. She wears a garland of skulls

10. Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom
Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine wife of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists. In Her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in Her rear two hands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). Her right leg is shown slightly pushing against Her left leg. She uses a swan as Her vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at Her.

11. Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual. The word ''Lakshmi'' is derived from the Sanskrit word Laksme, meaning "goal." Lakshmi, therefore, represents the goal of life, which includes worldly as well as spiritual prosperity. In Hindu mythology, Goddess Lakshmi, also called Shri, is the divine spouse of Lord Vishnu and provides Him with wealth for the maintenance and preservation of the creation. In Her images and pictures, Lakshmi is depicted in a female form with four arms and four hands. She wears red clothes with a golden lining and is standing on a lotus. She has golden coins and lotuses in her hands. Two elephants are shown next to the Goddess.

12. Lord Hanuman
Hanuman is a monkey god. He is a noble hero and great devotee of Lord Rama of the Ramayana. This deity is a provider of courage, hope, knowledge, intellect and devotion. He is pictured as a robust monkey holding a mace (gada), which is a sign of bravery and having a picture of Lord Rama, tattooed on his chest, which is a sign of his devotion to Lord Rama. He is also called Mahaveera (the great hero) or Pavan-suta (son of air) or Bajarang bali