1. Hinduism

2. Hinduism Hinduism: The largest religion in India today.
Hindus believe in many gods or polytheism.
The three main Hindu gods are:
Brahma: The creator
Siva: The destroyer
Vishnu: The preserver

3. Hindu gods Brahma: Creator of the universe
He is the least worshiped god in Hinduism today.
He is seen with four heads that represent the four Vedas.
He also has four arms and a
beard.
He is married to Saraswati
the goddess of knowledge.

4. Hindu gods cont… Vishnu: Preserver and protector of the universe.
His job is to restore the balance of good and evil.
He is seen with a human body with blue colored skin and four arms.
His hands always have four objects in them which are the four things he is responsible for.
Conch: ‘Ommm’ sound represents the sound of creation
Lotus flower: existence
Mace (club): mental and physical strength
Chakra: mind

5. Hindu gods cont…

6. Hindu gods cont… Shiva: the destroyer
Hindu’s don’t see his job as a bad thing. He restores balance
Shiva has a third eye that represents wisdom and insight.
He is often seen in the yoga
position or dancing.
He is depicted with a blue
face and throat.

7. Hindu gods cont…
He wears a cobra necklace that represents his power. Some say the cobra represents reincarnation as well.
Shiva’s wife is called Parvati.
She is the goddess of love and
devotion.
Shiva has two sons Ganesh
and Karhkeya
Ganesh has the head of an
elephant.
Listen as I read the story of Ganesh.

8. Hinduism & Worship Hindu people worship at a temple or at home
At the center of worship are statues of the god that the temple is built for.
People bring
Offerings of flowers,
body oils, food or
incense.
People usually only
go to temples on
religious holidays.

9. Hinduism Today
It is the third largest religion in the world. Approximately 900 million people follow the beliefs and customs of Hinduism. (nhsf.org)
Hindus believe in reincarnation or the idea that souls are re-born many times.
Karma is the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul. Hindu’s believe that a person with bad karma will be re-born into a lower caste.

10. Hinduism
Most people have a ‘puja room’ or a room with a shrine to the god they worship.