Hinduism consists of many diverse traditions and has no single founder. Among its direct roots is the historical Vedic religion of Iron Age India and, as such, Hinduism is often called the "oldest living religion" or the "oldest living major religion" in the world. Hinduism, with about one billion followers (950 million estimated in India), is the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam.
Hindu society has been categorized into four classes, called varnas.They are,
Hindu society has been categorized into four classes, called varnas.They are,
- the Brahmins: Vedic teachers and priests;
- the Kshatriyas: warriors, nobles, and kings;
- the Vaishyas: farmers, merchants, and businessmen; and
- the Shudras: servants and labourers.
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas. Therefore, Hinduism has developed numerous practices meant to help one think of divinity in the midst of everyday life. Hindus can engage in pūjā (worship or veneration), either at home or at a temple. Hindus often create a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen forms of God. The vast majority of Hindus engage in religious rituals on a daily basis.[184][185] Most Hindus observe religious rituals at home. Observation of rituals greatly vary among regions, villages, and individuals. Devout Hindus perform daily chores such as worshiping at dawn after bathing recitation from religious scripts, singing devotional hymns,meditation, chanting mantras, reciting scriptures etc.