]Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma (way of life), that is widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent . Known to be the oldest faith in the world, Hinduism originated around 3000 – 1000 BC . Practitioners and scholars refer to it as the Sanātana Dharma, “the eternal tradition,” or “the eternal way.” Hinduism is regarded as a fusion or combination of various Indian culture and traditions, with no roots. This faith is unique as it contains a broad range of traditions and philosophies that can be linked by shared concepts and recognisable rituals such as cosmology, shared textual resources, and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Hindu texts can be classified into two broad categories Śruti (heard) and Smriti (remembered) which discuss topics about theology, philosophy, mythology, Yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building . Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on tradition and spirituality, but has no set order, no religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s), or any binding holy book. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, or humanist , and while Hinduism is a religion from a Western standpoint, in India the term dharma is preferred, which is much broader than the western term religion.
The four major elements present in Hinduism are material religion/ architecture which is primarily focused on external design and interior decoration of various mandirs for the different Hindu deities. Dogma/ doctrine, which explains the theology behind the religion focusing on the writings of The Veda, The Upanishads, The Law of Manu, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Ramayana as Hinduism has no set holy book. Rituals which focus on all ritual activities associated with this faith, ranging from rituals (samskaras) that begin before a child is born to rituals that conclude the death of an individual , and lastly religion and society which focuses on the relationship between Hinduism and the surrounding society – and how it has affected Indian culture through time. While all four of these elements are heavily present in Hinduism, it is believed that ritual is the element that best expresses the character of tradition in Hinduism as it has stayed unchanged over time and is a necessary component within the other elements.
The ritual world of Hinduism offers a number of common features that link all Hindus into a greater Indian religious system and influence other religions as well. The home is the place where most Hindus conduct and observe their worship and religious rituals and the most important times of day for performing rituals are dawn and dusk, although more devout families engage in devotion more often. For a vast majority of Hindus, the most important religious path is bhakti (devotion) to personal gods. Often times devotees perform Puja (worship) of the gods which consists of a range of ritual offerings and prayers typically performed daily or on auspicious days before the image of the preferred deity. Some dedicated worshippers perform these Pujas at their home shrines, whereas others travel to temples to perform forms of ritualized worship on more auspicious days. While most of the previously mentioned rituals are not mandatory in Hinduism and tend to vary between regions, villages, and individuals, common rituals known as the Samskaras or the Hindu Rites of Passage that mark the important stages of one’s life and enable them to live a fulfilling life complete with happiness and contentment are completed by all Hindus.
Samskaras, or Hindu rites of passages, pave the way for one’s physical and spiritual journey through this life . It is believed that the various samskaras include both external rituals such as marking a baby’s birth and baby’s name giving ceremony to internal rituals of resolutions and ethics such as compassion towards all living beings and positive attitude . The Upanishads mention samskaras as a means to grow and proposer in all four aspects of human pursuit – Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Karma and Kama (work and pleasure), and Moksha (salvation). While the number of samskaras differ from sage to sage, the 16 samskaras that Rishi Veda Vyas propounded are considered the most important rites of passage in a Hindu’s life . The major traditional rites of passage in Hinduism include: Garbhadhana (conception ritual for having healthy children), Pumsavana (fertilization ritual performed on the third month of pregnancy asking for life and safety of the fetus) , Simantonnayana (ritual observed in the penultimate month of pregnancy for safe and assured delivery of the baby), Jatakarman (birth ceremony of the new baby), Namakarana (naming ceremony of the baby), Nishkramana (ceremony conducted when the baby first leaves its home), Annaprashana (elaborate ceremony conducted when the child is fed solid food), Chudakarana (ceremony for the baby’s first haircut), Karnavedha (ritual of having the baby’s ears pierced), Upanayana (thread ceremony), Vidyarambha (child’s start with knowledge), Samavartana (graduation ceremony), Keshanta/ Ritusuddhi (first shave for boys, first occurrence of menstruation for girls), Vivaha (lavish nuptial ceremony), Vratas (fasting, spiritual studies), and Antyeshti (final rite of passage that is performed after death)
Each of the four elements, including: rituals, religion and society, dogma/doctrine, and material religion/ architecture play extremely important roles in expressing the tradition and practices of Hinduism, however rituals alone are able to offer a number of common features that link all Hindus into a greater Indian religious system and influence other religions as well, making them the most important element. Hindu rituals are synonymous with the practice of Hinduism and constitute an important part of the Hindu Dharma. It is nearly impossible to practice Hinduism, without practising some of the rituals and rituals such as the Samskaras are deeply interwoven into human life, making it difficult to separate them and set them apart as religious practices.
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