Hinduism in India

Hinduism in India
Name	Hinduism in India
Founder	Vedic tradition
Scriptures	Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata
Regions	India
Adherents	Majority religion

Hinduism in India is the largest religious tradition in India with deep roots in the Indian subcontinent and continuous development across millennia. It encompasses a diverse array of Vedic schools, regional cults, philosophical systems, and temple traditions linked to major texts like the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita. The tradition has significantly shaped societies, arts, law, and politics across historical periods such as the Maurya Empire, the Gupta Empire, and the Delhi Sultanate era.

History

The formative period includes the composition of the Rigveda and other Vedas during the Vedic period, the rise of epic literature with the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and the philosophical consolidation in the Upanishads. During the classical age, institutions like the Gupta Empire patronized Sanskrit literature, while devotional movements such as the Bhakti movement and figures like Ramanuja, Madhva, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reshaped practice. Medieval interactions with the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire influenced temple architecture and pilgrimage networks including sites like Varanasi and Tirupati. Colonial encounters with the British Raj produced reformers including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and Dayananda Saraswati and led to institutional responses such as the Arya Samaj and the Ramakrishna Mission. Post-independence developments in the Republic of India involved debates over Article 25 of the Constitution of India, heritage conservation at sites like Khajuraho and Konark, and movements to codify personal law.

Demographics

Census data indicate a majority of India's population identifies with Hindu traditions concentrated across regions like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Communities include major denominations such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism, as well as regional traditions like Ayyavazhi and folk cults centered at places such as Sabarimala and Almora. Urbanization trends affect patterns in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, while scheduled tribes and scheduled castes maintain diverse indigenous practices in areas like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Diaspora movements have exported traditions to Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, and United Kingdom communities, altering demographic profiles through migration and transnational networks.

Beliefs and Practices

Core scriptural sources include the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, with ritual and philosophical elaboration by shastric authorities like Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya. Practices range from daily pūjā and recitation of mantras such as the Gayatri Mantra to lifecycle samskaras officiated by pandits in temples like Meenakshi Amman Temple and Jagannath Temple. Pilgrimage (tirtha) circuits include the Char Dham and the Kumbh Mela, with ascetic traditions represented by orders like the Dashanami Sampradaya and wandering sannyasis associated with Shankaracharya. Philosophical schools such as Advaita Vedanta, Dvaita Vedanta, and Vishishtadvaita debate metaphysics while devotional bhakti poets like Tulsidas and Mirabai shape vernacular piety.

Cultural and Social Influence

Hinduism informs classical arts including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Odissi, and epic narratives animate literature and painting traditions tied to patrons like the Chola dynasty and the Mughal courts interactions. Festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Navaratri structure social calendars and public life in cities like Varanasi and towns like Puri. Caste-related practices historically organized occupational networks across regions such as Kerala and Gujarat and influenced institutions like the Indian National Congress era social reform debates. Iconography in temples—Shiva lingam, Vishnu avatars, and Devi forms—shapes material culture visible in monuments like Mahabalipuram and Ellora Caves.

Politics and Law

Hindu traditions intersect with constitutional law under provisions like Article 25 of the Constitution of India and public policy debates over reform of personal laws exemplified by cases before the Supreme Court of India. Political movements such as the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have influenced party politics involving the Bharatiya Janata Party and election campaigns in states like Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. Legal controversies have arisen around temple administration bodies including the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and litigation over sites such as Ayodhya adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India. Government bodies like the Archaeological Survey of India engage with heritage protection at sites like Sanchi and Hampi.

Contemporary Issues and Movements

Contemporary debates include reform efforts targeting caste discrimination under laws like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and activist campaigns led by figures such as B. R. Ambedkar’s legacy organizations. Movements addressing ecology and river conservation intersect with pilgrimage and infrastructure projects on rivers like the Ganges and issues around the Kumbh Mela's scale management. Revivalist currents and scholarly projects at institutions like Banaras Hindu University and Jawaharlal Nehru University engage with reinterpretations of texts, while digital platforms and diaspora networks in United States and Canada reshape ritual transmission. Legal, social, and scholarly contestations continue over temple restoration projects, heritage tourism in locales such as Khajuraho, and the role of religion in public education policy.

Category:Hinduism