Hinduism is the name given to one of India's oldest religious practices. Vedanta is the real name of this religion. When British rule began to populate India, this ancient religion evolved into what is now known as Hinduism. Hinduism is an extremely complex religion for which it is not possible to formulate a single definition. The main feature of this religion is the huge difference in beliefs and rituals among its practitioners. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Hinduism was created through the mixing of two distinct cultures involving the Aryans and the Indus Valley Civilization. Around 1500 BC, the Aryans invaded India and imposed their religious themes on the native Indians. Eventually, the Aryan religion absorbed the rituals of the natives and was eventually transformed into Hinduism. Most Hindus are Indian or of Indian origin. However, as Hinduism spread throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia, other ethnic groups adopted Hinduism and added their own ethnic characteristics. The main teachings of Hinduism state that salvation is achieved through the spiritual unity of the soul, atman, with the ultimate reality of the universe, Brahma. To achieve this, the soul must achieve moksha, or liberation from samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Different sects of Hinduism teach different paths to moksha. As a result of these fundamental teachings arise Hindu beliefs in reincarnation, karma (material actions resulting from the consequences of previous actions), and the religious justification of the caste system. As Hinduism evolved, later texts became important such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The main text of the Vaishnavas is a part of the Mahabharata known as the Bhagavad Gita. The two largest sects of Hinduism are the Shivaite and the Vaishnavite, based on the recognition of Shiva and Vishnu as the ultimate manifestations of Brahma. Vaishnavas make up about 70% of all Hindus. The main holy days are the Kumbha Mela festival held four times a year, and the agricultural festival of Dusserah in honor of Kali is held at the end of October. Also Ramanavani (birthday of Lord Rama), Rathayatra (pilgrimage of the Chariot to Jagannath), Jhulanayatra ("Swinging Lord Krishna"), Rakshabandhana ("Binding lucky threads"), Janamashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), Navaratri (festival of Lord Rama) "Nine Nights"), Lakshmi-puja (homage to the goddess Lakshmi), Diwali or Dipavali ("String of Lights"), Maha-Sivaratri (Great Night of Lord Shiva) and Holi (the fire festival, a spring dedicated to Krishna). There are several principles of Hinduism. The theme of spiritual unity between the one ultimate reality, known as Brahma, and the soul, or atman, is obligatory. Consequently, everything in the world is an illusion, simply a part of Brahma, praised as the Creator. Brahma is considered the creator of all entities in the world, including Gods. The ultimate goal of all Hindus is to achieve pure reality through the unification of the soul with Brahma. However, as expected, each soul must first achieve liberation, or moksha, from the cycle of life known as samsara. This gives rise to the Hindu theme of reincarnation. Upon death, each person is reborn as an animal, human being or celestial body. The status of a person's next life is determined by the actions committed in the previous life. This principle is called karma. The status of lives within the life cycle led to the creation of the caste system. This system has significant social and economic implications on the Hindu population.It determines the choice of occupation, spouses, food consumed and other matters. Classes were originally based on natural qualities, and an individual's functions evolved into rigid divisions over time. In modern times, the primary characterization of the caste system is based on occupations rated based on the amount of pollutants, such as blood and wastewater, involved in the work. This prompted higher status Hindus to abstain from eating animal flesh and practice vegetarianism. In general, the Hindu community has traditionally enforced strict divisions between all castes. Since a person is believed to be born into one caste, no transferability is permitted between members of different castes. Furthermore, a non-Hindus cannot join a caste nor is marriage outside a caste permitted. The resulting segregation based on caste theology has remained persistent in India throughout history. Upper-caste Hindus have traditionally feared pollution from members of lower castes through actions such as proximity, eating foods cooked by lower castes, and drinking from the same water source. Through the political movements of the mid-1900s, caste barriers were loosened to some extent. The movement to remove discrimination against the lower castes was led by "Mahatma" MK Gandhi, who taught that "the removal of this stain and curse on Hinduism" was essential to Indian independence. This relaxation has been particularly noted in urban areas. All Hindus now have the right to receive an education that fostered equal employment opportunities. Social mixing in urban areas between members of different castes has become more tolerated. Furthermore, discrimination based on caste status was declared politically illegal in 1950. In general, these sects were especially popular among the lower castes. During the Bhakti Movement, numerous members of the lower castes converted to Islam to improve their religious standing. However, Hindu sects often provided another option for members of lower castes to improve their religious status without completely abandoning the Hindu religion. Traditionally, Hindus who have retained the original Vedic religion have mostly been those of the upper castes, mainly Brahmins. Many of the fundamental teachings for the modern observance of Vaishnavism began about 500 years ago, when Lord Caitanya taught that the form of deity to be worshiped in this (era) Kali Yuga, is the person of Krishna, the supreme manifestation of Vishnu. . His followers today recognize Lord Caitanya as the avatar of Krishna for our age, the representative of God with the specific message for our time. As a result of the often austere standards required of Vaishnavas, the practice is seen as purification and restoration of the true Vedic religion, providing the necessary path to survive the destruction of the present age. For Vaishnavas, the path to moksha must be found in devotion, especially devotion to Krishna. Scattered across many sects today, Vaishnavas are found throughout India. As a result of the dedicated missionary efforts of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, as well as a handful of other swamis, Vaishnavism has now spread throughout the West. Srila Prabhupada founded the largest Vaishnava organization, ISKCON or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (more popularly known as "Hare Krishna"). ISKCON is sometimes seen as heretical by other Hindus (and they sometimes reject the "Hindu" label). Hinduism has traditionally been contained to the place of its origin. For much of history, Hindu practitioners remained in South Asia,.