Religions in India

India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, commonly referred to as " Land of Religions". Religion, in lives of many Indians play the centric role and is also considered to be an inevitable part of the Indian tradition. Being a secular republic the citizens of India are free to practise the religion of their choice. Religions in India adds a sense of peculiarity to the entire nation.

India is the birth place of several religions that are known all over the world like : Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism and Sikhism. Amongst all these, Hinduism is the dominant faith in India and is said to be one of the ancient religions in the world. Around 81% of the population of the country follow the religion of Hinduism and are called as Hindus. Hindus and Muslims are the prominent religious groups in India. Other religious group have a lesser percentage as compared to these two.

Hinduism - Hinduism is often regarded as synonymous with India. The country is home to the largest number of Hindus. The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagwad Gita, Mahabharata or the Ramayana are certain religious books of the Hindus and are of great importance to them. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Krishna are the major deities of Hindus.

Islam - After Hinduism, Islam is the religion that is practised by a vast majority of Indian population. In the whole world India ranks second as far as the Muslim population is concerned. Islam first came in India in the state of Kerala during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad himself. 'Quran' is the holy book of the Muslims.

Sikhism - Around 2% of population in India is of Sikhs. Sikhism is comparatively a newer religion. Guru Nanak Dev is said to be the developer of the religion. 'Gurudwara' is the name given to the Sikh place of worship. "Shri Guru Granth Sahib" is the name of the holy book of the Sikhs.

Buddhism - Based on the spiritual teachings of Lord Buddha, the religion of Buddhism was founded by Gautam Buddha. In the truest sense India is the founder of Buddhism - a religion famous worldwide because of its appealing teachings. Buddhism reaches its peak during the reign of emperors like : Bimbisara, Ashok and Kanishka.

Jainism - The religion of Jainism came in to existence some 5000 years ago and is said to be the oldest religion in the world. It contains elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Non-violence is the basic governing principle of Jainism. The followers of this religion are called 'Jains'.

Zoroastrianism - Zoroastrianism is a religion based on the teachings of Prophet Zoroaster. The religion of Zoroastrianism was founded by Prophet Zoroaster in 6th or 7th century B.C. This religion is said to be the oldest religion in the world. The followers of this religion are called as 'Parsis'.

Christianity - Followers of Jesus Christ founded the religion of Christianity. The teachings and beliefs of Christianity bear great semblance to the teachings of Judaism and Islam. Bible is the holy book of the Christians.