Indian religions

Hinduism

Hinduism is one of the major religion in India which is followed by 70-80% people in India. Hinduism has many holy books which include Ramayana, Mahabharata , Bhagavad-Gita, Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads. The religion beliefs that one has to go through many life cycles of rebirth, eventually which leads to Moksha. People in this religion believes that good karma can reduce the cycle of rebirths and one can move closer to Moksha, the spiritual salvation that frees one from cycle of rebirth. Hinduism has three basic practices which include worship, follow caste system and cremation of death.In Hinduism, there are four caste which include Brahmin, Kshatriyas, Vasiyas and Sudras.

Sikhism

The meaning of Sikhism is discipline or follower. Sikhism in Punjab is known for the disciplines followed by sikh Guru Nanak dev ji followed by other nine Gurus. There are few millions sikhs in India and most of them lives in punjab which is part of India. The five Kakkars of Sikhism are Kesha means uncut hairs, Kanga- wooden comb, Kachha- Underwear, kara- braclet and Kirpan- sword.

The sikhs Believe in GURU GRANTH SHAIB which is their living Guru. Sikhs wear turban and go to Gurudwara for prayers and free food service is offered to poor in the form "Langar" means free Kitchen.

MAJOR FESTIVALS OF INDIA:
1. DIWALI
2. HOLI
3. PONGAL
4. ONAM
5. DUSSEHRA
6. RAHKHI
7. GURU NANAK BIRTHDAY
8. ID-UL-FITR
9. CHRISTMAS

NATIONAL FESTIVALS:
1. INDEPENDENCE DAY
2. REPUBLIC DAY
3. GANDHI JYANTI

The biggest festival which is celebrated in all over India is "DIWALI". It is a five day festival which occurs in the month of either October or November. It is also known as "festivals of Lights" because their is no Moon Light in the sky and people light candles and fire crackers in their houses to signify good over evil. People decorate their houses with lights and shop new clothes to wear on this day and distribute Sweets among friends and families. In Hinduism, Diwali is celebrated as a mark of return of lord Rama to Ayodhya after killing the demon Ravan in Sri Lanka. In Sikhism, the guru Har Gobind Ji return to Amritsar after releassing 52 hindu kings which were imprisoned by emperor Jahangir in Gwalior.

India which is also known as Bharat in Hindi in the world is seventh largest country in the terms of geographical area. It is surrounded by Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The capital of the country is New Delhi and now a days it is one of the main hubs in south Asia for multinational companies.The largest city in India is Bombay which was later renamed as Mumbai. The neighborhood countries includes Pakistan, Sri-Lanka,Bhutan,Nepal and China. The official language Used in India is Hindi. India is derived from word Indus which is one the most important rivers in India. It consist of 28 States and 7 Union Territories. The legal System of the country is democratic. India first got its independence on 15 August 1947 from Britishers. The country first celebrated its Republic Day on 26 January 1950. The Currency used in the India is Rupee. There are many religions practised in India but the main religions are Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism

The National Symbols Of India are as Follows:
1. Flag- Tricolour also known as Tiranga in Hindi.
2. National Bird- Peacock
3. Animal- Tiger
4. Tree- Banyan
5. Flower- Lotus
6. Fruit -Mango
7. River- Ganga
8. Song- Vande Mataram