Hinduism is the third most common world religion not including atheism. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world and also the oldest culture in Southeast Asia. It has a rich history spanning well before 2500 BCE. It is a Pagan faith, a form of Eastern Paganism. As such, Hindus worship multiple deities that are all connected to the natural world. Hinduism for many blends culture and religion together to create a spiritual practice entirely unique for those who practice it. Its practitioners speak many different languages and have many different cultures, all of which Hinduism is interwoven with. Thus, practicing Hinduism will never be the same for each person. Instead, each practitioner will have a different image of what the Divine looks like for them.
What does “Hindu” mean?
Interestingly enough, Hindu is not originally an Indian word. It was given to the practitioners of this faith by the Greeks to describe the people living on the Indus River. In the 19th century, the term Hinduism came into common use to describe the practices of this area. It was created initially with the “ism” added so that Hindus could differentiate themselves from Muslims.
There are many forms of Hinduism and many different cultures that practice it. These include but are not limited to, brahmins of Banaras and the businessmen of Boston, the ascetics and yogis of the Himalayas and the swamis of Pennsylvania, the villagers of central India and the householders of suburban Chicago. Each of these groups has their own unique culture and religious practice. Hinduism is contextualized by diversity and serves as a more overarching umbrella term for a complex system of beliefs and practices.
Sources: https://pluralism.org/what-does-%E2%80%9Chindu%E2%80%9D-
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