Hinduism

The aim of this report is to gain an understanding of how two different cultures compared to each other shows us the differences in the countries for example how relationships are maintained, hierarchy, masculinity vs femininity, individualism and how they perceive the future. This research is very interesting because it had some very similarities and very few differences. This report gives a background on the countries that are mentioned below and then it goes on to the differences in both countries and similarities using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.

Overview of cultures

According to (Fathy, 2017) Egypt has a rich history and culture dating back thousands of years, starting with the Pharaonic culture, then Christianity and Islam. Egyptians are very welcoming, warm and friendly, they are open to other cultures and known for their good hospitality. When it comes to family relations, it is very important for Egyptians, so they pay special attention to family values and relationships.

Usually the responsibilities are divided, women tend to stay at home and raise the kids that is their main responsibility, while men are responsible for supporting the family financially. Religion has a significant role in the life of Egyptians, and it is intermingled with daily activities of Muslims and Christians living in Egypt. Egyptians who are Muslim follow Ramadan. Ramadan is the most important month in the year. During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, focusing on praying and doing charity work.

Whereas CITATION Zim17 l 6153 (Zimmermann, 2017) says, Indian culture is one of the world’s oldest. Today, India is a very diverse country, with more than 1.2 billion people. Different regions have their own distinct cultures. Language, religion, food and the arts are just some of the various aspects of Indian culture. India has 28 states and seven territories, 41% speaks Hindi while 59% speaks some other language.

The Indian constitution recognizes 23 official languages in India. Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu are some other languages spoken in the country.  India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and fourth largest religions. About 84 percent of the population identifies as Hindu. About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, making it one of the largest Islamic nations in the world. Indian has a lot of Indian architecture the most well-known example of Indian architecture is the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honour his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

It combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles. India also has many ancient temples. Indians love celebrations and have lots of traditions but the most important one is Diwali it is the largest and most important holiday to India.  It is a five-day festival known as the festival of lights because of the lights lit during the celebration to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. Holi, the festival of colours, also called the festival of love, is popular in the spring. The country also celebrates Republic Day (Jan. 26), Independence Day (Aug. 15) and Gandhi’s birthday (Oct. 2).

Culture Differences

Definition: according to (Zimmermann), Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
To discuss the culture differences between Egypt and India, Hofstede’s insights was used to compare and research the two countries and below are the dimensions that was picked:

Power Distance:Referring to (Hofstede, 2001): A high power distance score indicates that a society accepts an unequal, hierarchical distribution of power, and that people understand “their place” in the system. A low power distance score means that power is shared and is widely dispersed. It is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Egypt:

Egypt has a high-power distance which means that inequality is unavoidable, and everyone has the place they deserve. Hierarchy is an organisation that reflects natural differences. Superior or subordinates are different kinds of people. Powerholders are entitled to privileges and status symbols, and authority is respected. They acknowledge a leader’s status. As an outsider, you may try to circumvent his or her power, but don’t push back explicitly.

India:

India shows an appreciation for hierarchy and a top-down structure in society and organizations because it also has a high-power distance. Real Power is centralized even though it may not appear to be, and managers count on the obedience of their team members. The manager should be a benevolent autocrat. Hierarchy is an organisation that reflects natural differences, inequality is unavoidable everyone has the place they deserve.

Individualism: Individualism is defined as the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. A high individualism score indicates weak interpersonal connection among those who are not part of a core “family.” People take less responsibility for others’ actions and outcomes.

Egypt:

Egypt is considered a collectivistic society. Collectivist societies have a ‘we’ mentality. Identity is based on one’s social group. Decisions are primarily made according to what’s best for the group. Relationships prevail over task. Focus is on belonging to an organisation. Values differ according to the group. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Maintaining harmony among group members overrides other moral issues.

India:

On the other hand, India is a society with both collectivistic and Individualist traits. The employer/employee relationship is one of expectations based on expectations. Decisions are primarily made according to what’s best for the group. Hiring and promotion decisions are often made based on relationships which are the key to everything in a Collectivist society.

The Individualist aspect of Indian society is seen as a result of its dominant religion/philosophy – Hinduism. The Hindus believe in a cycle of death and rebirth, with the manner of each rebirth being dependent upon how the individual lived the preceding life. This focus on individualism interacts with the otherwise collectivist tendencies of the Indian society. Individualist society has an ‘I’ mentality. Identity is based on individual. Task prevails over relationships. Focus is on individual initiative and achievement. Value standards apple to all. High value placed on people’s time and their need for privacy and freedom.

Masculinity:Masculinity indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success. A value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.
Femininity means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable.

Egypt:

Egypt is considered a Feminine society. In Feminine countries the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Focus is on well-being. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement. Men and women are in nurturing roles. Feminine society are more relationship oriented/consensual. There’s more focus on quality of life. Success is more likely to be achieved through negotiation, collaboration and input from all levels.

India:

India considered a Masculine society. India is actually very Masculine in terms of visual display of success and power. India is also a spiritual country with millions of deities and various religious philosophies. In more Masculine countries the focus is on success and achievements, validated by material gains. Work is the centre of one’s life and visible symbols of success in the workplace are very important. Men are considered assertive, women are nurturing. They have acquisition of wealth and live to work. Sympathy for the successful achiever. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Strong egos – feelings of pride and importance are attributed to status. Money and achievement are important.

Uncertainty Avoidance:Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known. This ambiguity brings with its anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways.

Egypt:

Egypt has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures, there is an emotional need for rules, precision and punctuality are the norm, security is an important element in individual motivation. Uncertainty in life is threatening and must be reduced. According to Egypt predictability and clarity are preferred. Formal rules and regulations are necessary, there is an inner urge to work hard, belief in expert and their knowledge, and consensus is better than conflict. It is a high energy society, if people feel that they are in control of their life instead of feeling overwhelmed by life’s vagaries.

India:

India has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. In India, there is acceptance of imperfection; nothing has to be perfect nor has to go exactly as planned. India is traditionally a patient country where tolerance for the unexpected is high. A word used often is “adjust” and means a wide range of things, from turning a blind eye to rules being flouted to finding a unique and inventive solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem.

It is this attitude that is both the cause of misery as well as the most empowering aspect of the country. Uncertainty is a fact of life: take things as they come. According to India ambiguity is tolerated, there needs to be a readiness to take risk. The fewer rules there are the better, competition and conflict can be constructive. They have a belief in generalists and common sense. There is an openness to change or innovation, and generally inclusive.  (Team, 2016)More inclined to open-ended learning or decision making.

Long Term Orientation:This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently. A culture which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

Egypt:

Egypt’s very low indicating that its culture is very normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.

India:

Whereas India has a dominant preference in Indian culture. In India the concept of “karma” dominates religious and philosophical thought. Countries like India have a great tolerance for religious views from all over the world. Hinduism is often considered a philosophy more than even a religion; an amalgamation of ideas, views, practices and esoteric beliefs. In India there is an acceptance that there are many truths and often depends on the seeker. Societies that have a high score on pragmatism typically forgive a lack of punctuality, a changing game-plan based on changing reality and a general comfort with discovering the fated path as one goes along rather than playing to an exact plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion this report shows how Hofstede’s five Dimensions of Culture are brought about in today’s world by our surroundings and society. The five dimensions that was talked about in this report was power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. The countries that were compared was Egypt and India using Hofstede’s Dimensions.

Each of these cultural differences between Egypt and India impacts their work relationships as well due to their ability to work in groups, distribution of power, and level of competitiveness. In Egypt they have a power distance, uncertainty avoidance while scoring a low long-term orientation and is considered a feminine and collectivist country.

Whereas India has a high-power distance and long-term orientation they score low in uncertainty avoidance and is considered a masculine and both an individualist and collectivist country. While they were both similar in the power distance and collectivist dimension, they were opposites on each of the other dimensions. The importance of the comparison between Egypt and India is so that one can understand why these cultures are different and how they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

References

• Fathy, F., 2017. Traditions and Cultures of Egypt. [Online] Available at: https://www.globalizationpartners.com/2017/01/17/traditions-and-cultures-of-egypt/
• Hofstede, G., 2001. Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviours, institutions, and organizations across nations.. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Team, M. T. C., 2016. Mind Tools. [Online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm[Accessed 12 November 2019].
• Zimmermann, A. K., 2017. Indian Culture: Traditions and Customs of India. [Online] Available at: https://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html

When Indians greet, they say to each other “Namascar” or “Namaste”, which means approximately “I salute you God.” It is customary to fold the palms of his chest and bow. Tourists are usually greeted with “Hello” and waved or said “Good afternoon evening.”

India does not often shake hands and kisses and hugs are not accepted here. As greetings, the Hindus fold their palms together and say “Namaste” or “Ram”. However, many men can easily shake hands with you (if you are also a man). It is forbidden for a woman to shake hands, as well as to put a hand on a man’s or woman’s shoulder. It is customary to welcome one’s spiritual mentor or parents when bowing to their feet.

The right hand in India is considered pure. It is eaten (Indians do not use cutlery) unlike the left, which Indians use to wash after sending natural needs (they do not use toilet paper). Therefore, without causing a negative reaction of Indians to eat, take food, generally clean things, or take something from other people, to show, and even more so you can only welcome with the right hand.

Nothing to give and take with your left hand is a sign of disrespect. It is unnecessary to touch other people with this hand. Touching sacred images and other sacred objects in temples and places of worship is not allowed.

Sacred places – Buddhist and Hindu temples and monasteries, altars and interiors in them, gompa (a monument erected at the burial place of any shrine or event, sometimes just stones with inscriptions, sometimes structures like our chapels or ceilings), as well as ashrams (buildings where religious, yogic, or other communities are located), and all other places of religious or religious importance, you need to go around just to the right (clockwise, in the direction of the sun). This rule applies to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. When you enter such a room, and sometimes the territory of such places, you need to open the door, usually employees say this or it is written at the entrance.

By the way, the Hindus open up and at the entrance to the house. Indians in temple service usually sit either hunched over or in Turkish, turning their feet. During the service, you need to sit on a special mat or mat, or just on the floor. In this case, one can never sit so that the feet are turned to other people, it is considered an insult, not only in temples, but in general in public. After visiting the monasteries and temples, it was decided to leave some money. Europeans are only allowed to enter Buddhist temples and monasteries, and most Hindu temples are closed.

Indians prefer to keep their distance. It is not customary to touch a person’s body or clothing, such a gesture can be insulted. Obviously, this is based on caste traditions, whose imperatives are still existing. Indians unmistakably determine the belonging of a person to a certain class. Men and women (even spouses) behave extremely restrained in public, not even holding hands. It is impossible to stroke children on the head in any way, it is considered that this way the child can be severely harmed. In India, there is a cult of non-violence (ahimsa) that is manifested in both human and animal relationships. The level of violent crime is extremely low.

Cows (being sacred animals) quietly stroll through the driveways, disrupting the normal traffic. For example, a driver who beat a cow to death did not run away but burst into tears, and the police (sanction for killing a cow reaches 15 years in prison) did not hurry up with the handcuffs, patiently comforting him, because according to local performances such the collision ruined the driver several further lives. Dogs also enjoy freedom, and can be found in temples and government agencies. Monkeys are also particularly revered. Unlike cows, these animals are much more agile and can often become aggressive towards humans. Monkeys can surround you, demanding to get something edible.

Traditions in food. Table etiquette is practically the same for different ethnic groups in the country. Before the meal, and after its completion, it is necessary to wash hands, as well as in breaks between dishes – usually for this purpose each guest is served a bowl of warm water and lemon. The first one to start eating is the master or the elder of those present. Keep quiet during the meal. It is not necessary to use appliances – many Indian dishes, such as bread and curry, are accepted to be eaten by hands.

India is the birthplace of most known and little-known spices, and spices are the most important thing in Indian cuisine. Even ordinary rice or potatoes are eaten by the Indians. Up to several dozen spices are mixed in jewelry proportions. We also know coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and saffron, and exotic spices like asafetida, which we know as stinking ferrule.

The main thing is to choose from a condiment that does not burn your throat immediately and does not stop your appetite forever. One of the cups placed around the cake will certainly have soup dhal (dal). It is one of the Indians favorite foods: it is served both in the upscale restaurant and in the street eatery.

India is the birthplace of vegetarianism. Meat is scarce here for many reasons. First, for the religious: for Muslim Indians, let them have a little, pork – “dirty food”, and for Hindus, most of whom, is to eat beef – “like eating your mother.” Secondly, climate and economic: hot climate and minimum refrigerators per capita. Generous Indian land yields three to four crops of vegetables, fruits and beans per year. So Indians can understand – why resist nature if it so naturally inclines to vegetarianism? On holidays, for expensive guests and in expensive restaurants prepare dishes of poultry and goat.

Alcohol is widespread and expensive. Wine, in general, is not wine, but something like a fortified and sweetened compote. The beer is whitish, unpleasant in taste, but cheap. Tea at home “tea” is popular not less than ours, it is drunk with milk. There are a lot of sweets in India. The sweets are very boring and very specific. Indian cooking is as paradoxical as India itself. For example, the concept of cold and warm food Indian does not associate with the real temperature of the products. He can call cold food warm and vice versa. Rice, even just cooked, is cold, so it is cooked with shambhala (spicy seeds with the smell of mushrooms), which neutralizes the cold of the rice with its heat.

In India, attitudes toward old age have always been different. On the one hand, longevity, given its merit, gave it the right to respect and authority in the family and within the social group. Perfect service to the elderly parents is the main son of dharma (debt), which is why all Indian families look forward to the birth of sons, not daughters, who will be married and leave for another family.

Old age as a subjective category is related to self-assessment or self-assessment. Indian civil servants are obliged to retire for 58 years, university professors are allowed to teach up to 60.

The woman, and then her husband, with age, gradually eliminate from food all that carries with it “heat” – meat, fish, onions, garlic – and switch to cooling products: milk, some types of vegetables, fruits. Not immediately, but in stages, passing on to the hands of young family businesses and worries around the house, rural father-in-law and mother-in-law move to the periphery, although as long as they have the strength, they help with the household, look after grandchildren and act as arbitrators in disputes.

If in Indian villages patriarchal families consisting of representatives of several generations are still preserved and the elderly are surrounded by their native ones – not always attentive, sometimes frankly angry, but forced to heed the village rumors, then the urban clans split into nuclear eyes and people They are left alone with their problems: they suffer from a lack of love and are often deprived of their livelihood. Most aging Indians go to prayer daily visiting temples and reaching the same elderly community.

Sikhs. A special place in Sikh cult practice belongs to the common, common Sikh prayer. Sikh prayer can be performed by any Sikh; this tradition was instituted in order not to bring to life the whole class of priests with their claims to power. It can even be conducted by a woman, because Sikhism proclaims and enforces the equality of man and woman.

The pre-dawn prayer in the temple is one of the most sacred Sikh traditions. Through a common prayer in the Sikh temple, they welcome the coming of a new day, thank the Lord for a quiet night, and seek His blessings on the day’s work.

During the day, after the obligatory prayers, there is almost always an ardas. This kind of common prayer of the Sikh congregation, containing elements of the sermon, is carried out in all significant cases in the life of the congregation or its individual representative. In many cases, holding an ardas at the request of the Sikh or his family marks the important moments and points of transition of the human life path.

Varanasi is a city of death and burning which gives the Hindu some benefits in his future life. The burning is carried out in the crematorium on the shore. The crematorium also includes 3 hotels in which people who have come to die die. Burning is a complicated rite that involves washing, crying, praying, actually burning and dispelling ashes over the Ganges, which are not fully burned, just thrown in the middle of the river with cargo tied to their feet. Yet, people bathe in the Ganges, wash, do laundry, drink water and take water with them, believing that “the Ganges is a clean river. The dirt is dirty.”

Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is mainly a Sikh festival that falls on the 13^th or 14^th of April each year. It is celebrated with great pomp and show in Punjab as well as other parts of the country.

Baisakhi is basically a Sikh festival that marks the New Year for the Sikh community. It is also celebrated by people from the Hindu community. It is a way of honouring the Khalsa Panth of the warriors under Guru Gobind Singh. The Khalsa Panth was formed in the year 1699. Here are some short and long essays on Baisakhi of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exams, class tests, essay writing competition, etc.

Long and Short Essay on Baisakhi in English

Below we are providing short and long essay on Baisakhi of varying length in English to make you aware of one of the most significant festivals of north India.

Following Baisakhi essay are written in simple language considering the limitations of small school going children at the same time they are informative enough for senior students.

After going through the essays you will know – the community with which the festival is associated, when and how is the festival celebrated, which are the other states where the festival is celebrated etc.

These essays will be truly useful for school and college students for events like essay writing, debates or speech.

Baisakhi Essay – 1 (200 words)

Baisakhi is one such festival that is celebrated for different reasons by different people. For the farmers, it is the first day of the Baisakh season which is that time of the year when all their hard work pays off. This is because the crops grown and nurtured by them all year round ripe during this time. They thank God on this day and gather around to celebrate the harvest.

The day also marks the beginning of the New Year for the people belonging to the Sikh and Hindu communities and this gives them another reason to celebrate the day. Prayers are offered to start the New Year on the right note. Schools and many of the offices around the country are closed on Baisakhi that falls on the 13^th or 14^th of April each year. This is among the few Indian festivals that falls on a fixed date.

People in Punjab and various other parts of the country dress up in their folk attires to rejoice the celebration. In Punjab, people are seen indulging in Bhangra and Gidda (the folk dances of Punjab) to celebrate the day. Baisakhi fairs are held and processions are held in different parts of the country to celebrate the occasion.

Baisakhi Essay – 2 (300 words)

Introduction

Baisakhi, also referred to as Vaisakhi or Vasakhi, is celebrated on the 13^th or 14^th of April every year. Like other Indian festivals, Baisakhi is also awaited all year long especially by the people belonging to the Sikh community as it is one of their main festivals. Not only does it mark the beginning of the New Year for them but it is also the time to celebrate the harvesting of crops.

Baisakhi – One of the Main Sikh Festivals

Baisakhi, originally a Hindu festival, was incorporated as a main Sikh festival by Guru Amar Das and is since celebrated with great enthusiasm by people belonging to the Sikh community around the world. Shri Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, laid the foundation of the Khalsa Panth in the year 1699. The Khalsa Panth was also formed on the same day and it gives the Sikh community all the more reason to celebrate this day.

The gurudwaras across India, especially in different regions of Punjab, are decked up beautifully on this day and see huge numbers of people visiting to offer prayers. Nagar kirtans are carried out from gurudwaras and people are seen dancing, singing and bursting crackers to make merry during these processions.

Many people organize get together at home to celebrate the day with their relatives, friends and colleagues.

Baisakhi Celebrations at the Golden Temple, Amritsar

While the Baisakha fairs and processions are held at several places around the world, none can match the level of enthusiasm seen at the Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple, also known as Shri Harmandir Sahib is considered to be the holiest places for the Sikh community. Sikhs from different parts of the world visit the Golden Temple to attend the grand Baisakhi celebration held here.

Conclusion

The people from the Sikh community are known for their joyous nature and they can be seen in their merriest state on the festival of Baisakhi.

Baisakhi Essay – 3 (400 words)

Introduction

Baisakhi, observed on the 13^th (or sometimes 14th) of April every year is one of the main festivals of Sikhs as well as Hindus though the reason for celebration varies to some extent for both these communities. Here is how this day is perceived and celebrated by people belonging to Hindu and Sikh religions.

Baisakhi Significance – For Hindu Community

The day of Baisakhi is said to be the first day of the traditional solar New Year. People from the Hindu community celebrate their New Year on this day by visiting temples, performing prayers, meeting and greeting their friends and relatives, having good food and dressing up in new clothes.

Harvest is complete and ready to be sold around this time and the farmers around the country celebrate the ripening season on this day. Baisakhi is known by different names in different parts of India however the way it is celebrated is almost the same. Here are the names this festival is known by in different Indian states:

• Rongali Bihu in Assam
• Maha Vishuva Sankranti in Odisha
• Pohela Boishakh or Naba Barsha in West Bengal and Tripura
• Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka
• Bisu among the Tulu People
• Bikhu or Bikhauti in Kumaon, Uttarakhand
• Puthandu in Tamil Nadu
• Vishu in Kerala

Some of these are celebrated on the same day as Baisakhi while others are celebrated a day or two after the same.

Baisakhi Significance – For Sikh Community

Contrary to the common notion, Baisakhi is actually a Hindu festival. It is the Sikh guru, Guru Amar Das who chose it for the Sikhs along with other two festivals – Diwali and Makar Sankranti. Just as in Hinduism, Baisakhi marks the beginning of the New Year in Sikhism also and hence it is a day for celebration.

Apart from this, Baisakhi is also celebrated as a harvest festival in Punjab as the Rabi crop ripens around this time in the Punjab region. The farmers thank God for the harvest and also pray for abundance in future.

This day is also special for the Sikhs as it marked the beginning of the Sikh order after the execution of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur who declined the Mughal Emperor Auangzeb’s order to convert to Islam. This was followed by the coronation of their tenth Guru and the formation of the Khalsa Panth.

Conclusion

Baisakhi is celebrated with great zeal across the country mainly in Punjab where people carry out processions, burst fire crackers, organize feast for their near ones and enjoy the whole day.

Baisakhi Essay – 4 (500 words)

Introduction

Baisakhi is one of the main festivals of the Sikh community. It marks the beginning of the New Year for them and is also celebrated to rejoice the ripening of the crops. Many people from the Hindu community across the country also celebrate the day for the same reason. However, the name of this festival varies from region to region. Just as every other Indian festival, Baisakhi also brings people together. Get-together are held, temples and gurudwaras are decorated with lights and flowers, people dress up in ethnic wear and enjoy good food.

Baisakhi Celebrations Around the World

Not just in India, Baisakhi is celebrated in other parts of the world too. Here is a look at where this festival is celebrated and how:

Pakistan

Pakistan encompasses quite a few historical sites of importance to the Sikh with one of them being the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev and these attract Sikh as well as Hindu pilgrims from far and wide every year on the day of Vaisakhi.

Until the 1970s, the festival was celebrated with zeal by the locals too. Baisakhi Mela was held in Lahore after the harvesting of the wheat crop. However, all this began fading after Zia-ul-Haq came to power during the 1970s. Recently, the Pakistan Muslim League even banned kite flying. However, Baisakhi Melas are still held in Eminabad and certain other places in Pakistan.

Canada

There are huge numbers of Sikhs residing in Canada and they celebrate the festival of Baisakhi with great zeal. This is one of the main festivals for them. Nagar Kirtans are held and large numbers of people take part in the same. Surrey, a city in the Province of British Columbia, Canada attracted more than 200,000 people for their Baisakhi celebration in the year 2014. The record was broken in the year 2016 with 350,000 people and further in 2017 with 400,000 people attending the Baisakhi festival held in the city.

United States

Manhattan and Los Angeles are two such cities in United States that celebrate the festival of Baisakhi with immense enthusiasm. The people belonging to the Sikh community in Manhattan offer free food on this day and also contribute in different tasks to improve the community. Kirtan are held in Los Angeles and processions are carried out to celebrate this festival.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom too has a large Sikh community. West Midlands and London are known to have the largest number of Sikhs in the UK. The Nagar Kirtan held in Southhall attracts large number of people from different parts of the United Kingdom. It is held in coordination with Birmingham City Council. The Nagar Kirtan starts from the gurudwaras in the city and ends at the Baisakhi Mela organised at Handsworth Park. This year saw, Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor attending the Baisakhi parade that began and culminated at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall Gurudwara located on Havelock Road.

Conclusion

Baisakhi is celebrated by the people from the Sikh community living in different parts of the world. Indians are known for their warm behaviour and the celebration of Baisakhi in different countries thus attracts the locals too who take part equally enthusiastically.

Baisakhi Essay – 5 (600 words)

Introduction

Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi or Vasakhi, is mainly a Sikh festival which is celebrated with immense zeal in the Indian state of Punjab. People from the Sikh and also many Hindu communities living in other parts of the country also celebrate the festival as it marks the beginning of the New Year for them. The festival mostly falls on the 13^th of April each year.

The Significance of Baisakhi

Though known to be one of the main Sikh festivals, Baisakhi is basically a Hindu festival. It is said to be one of the three Hindu festivals that Guru Amar Das chose for Sikhs. The other two being Diwali and Maha Shivratri though as per some he chose Makar Sankranti instead of Maha Shivratri.

The day is considered auspicious and celebrated owing to several reasons. Here is a look at the reasons making this day special:

• The day saw the beginning of the Sikh order post the persecution and execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur who refused to convert to Islam as ordered by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This led to the coronation of the tenth Sikh Guru and the formation of the Khalsa Panth. Both these events occurred on the Baisakhi Day. The formation of the Khalsa Panth is celebrated each year on this day.
• Sikhs also celebrate it as a spring harvest festival.
• It is also the first day of the New Year for the people belonging to the Sikh community.
• This is an ancient Hindu festival that marked the Solar New Year. The Hindus also celebrate spring harvest on this day.

Baisakhi Celebrations

While there are so many reasons to celebrate this festival. It is celebrated in more or less the same manner in various parts of the country.

The Gurudwaras are decorated with lights and flowers all over on this day and kirtans are held to celebrate this auspicious day. Nagar kirtan processions are also held at several places across the country and large numbers of people take part in these. People sing holy songs, burst crackers and distribute sweets during these processions. So prayers are offered and people also enjoy and celebrate this festival by way of these huge processions.

Many people go to nearby rivers or lakes during the early morning on this day to take a holy dip before visiting the Gurudwaras. Visiting the Gurudwaras is a ritual on this day. People dress up in new clothes and go to their local Gurudwaras to offer prasad and prayers. Many also head to the Golden Temple located in Amritsar, Punjab which is considered to be the holiest Gurudwara in Sikhism.

Apart from this, community fairs are organized. People visit these fairs to relish good food and enjoy games and rides. Many people organize get together at their home to socialize with their neighbours and relatives.

Hindus also celebrate this festival by taking a dip in holy rivers such as Ganga, Kaveri and Jhelum and visiting temples. They organize get together and enjoy festive foods with their near and dear ones as a part of the celebration. The festival is known by different names in Hinduism including Pohela Boishakh in Bengal, Bohag Bihu or Rangali Bihu in Assam and other North Eastern states in India, Vishu in Kerela, and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu. It marks the first day of the year for these communities.

Conclusion

The festival is celebrated for various reasons by different communities however what remains at the core of this festival is the idea to offer prayers, socialize and enjoy good food. There is immense joy and excitement among the people on this day.

Instead, we are to remain in Christ so that He can in turn live n us and live out His life through us. As I meditated on today’s scriptural reference, I stared at some roses sitting In a vase, and it came to me. Many of us have become like roses. Stay with me… Before the roses made their way into the vase, they were grafted into a vine; alive and vibrant. But someone went out and broke them off and wrapped them nicely together so that they looked pretty. For a few weeks. He roses striver to stay alive and maintain their pretty color; they worked overtime to bring pleasure to the owner, but eventually they began to wilt and whither away until they eventually succumbed. They just could not survive for too long without the vine, the true source of their strength. Many of us have become like roses sitting in a vase trying to please God, and we may even be experiencing something called spiritual burnout. This is a syndrome that causes us to be tired, bored, and unsure of what to do next In order to please God or If everything we had been doing was what we were actually called to do.

Are you spiritually burned out? God is calling you to come back to Him, the true source of your strength. He is telling you today, don’t live to seek my approval, instead, ‘abide in me and I will abide in you. The difference between a Christ-babbling life and a Christ-approval seeking life Is the reason behind the things they do. A Christ-approval seeking life says I am going to pray and do good deeds because I want to please God. On the other hand, a Christ- abiding life says, Christ lives in me and so I pray and do his will; I no longer live for myself but for Him.

What kind of Christian are you? Do not let your fate become Like that of the roses in the vase. Abide in Him, and He will abide in you. Remain In Helm! In 1984, I was a student in Korea at a theological seminary . Along with a group of Bible Society educators, they were showing a movie called “God Makers. ” It was very negative film against the Book of Mormon, Mornings, and the prophet, Joseph Smith, Jar. It was truly false teaching based on the incorrect lessons taught by the “God Makers. However, I believed the movie on its face value that the Book of Mormon must be a grand design conspired to develop an American pseudo-Christian cult. I wrongly believed that it is better for me not to see it, not to touch it, not to feel it, not to taste it, and not to smell it. Nevertheless, I did not have peace concerning the Book of Mormon. I was restless. I had to investigate it by myself on my own initiative. I truly wanted to test and try if the Book of Mormon was not true as it was discussed in the classroom by the participating audience as mentioned below: MORONIC 10:3.

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down unto the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. MORONIC 10:4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye loud ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

MORONIC 10:5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. Surely, I dint have peace until I investigate by myself on my own. Because, before I knew any thing about the Book of Mormon, I have had I tasted it and proved it on my own. Likewise, I wanted to test and try the Book of Mormon on my own initiative. There was no any human help to assist me. Little did I know that it was the Holy Spirit that was leading and guiding me all the way. The longing in my heart grew day by day. And the desire to know and to taste the contents of the Book of Mormon never left me.

For the Psalmist said. “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trustees in him” (Psalm 34:8). And our Savior said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free Cohn 8:32). No body gave me any Book of Mormon but they told me it is a cultic and heretic book and don’t worry about it. However, I prayed again. The Spirit of God told me from the Scripture of the Bible: Try the spirits whether they are of God (1 John 4:1; Czech. 13:9; and 1 These 2:4). They thought that they have squelched my longing to read the Book of Mormon. But I cereal out to my In prayer gall.

Ana ten split AT Go spoke to me tongue ten Scriptures in the Bible. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit whether they are of God because many false false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Finally, I got a Book of Mormon by the angel of God in the answer of my tenacious prayers. When I got it, it was all corroborative to the Bible. I tried to find if there is any mistake from the Spirit and the Power of Holy Bible. But I got nothing on negative correlation to the Holy Bible. Rather, it was all complementary and supplementary to the Bible. The more I read the more closer I got to grow in Christ.

I read from cover to cover with a great appetite. It really gripped my heart to brim me to the fullness of Gospel of restoration. Every time I was reading, I was praying with all trembling and fears. He was restoring my soul. My cup of the heart was running over. I was thriving n the Spirit and knowledge of God. I never decreased in my faith with the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, I grew up stronger and stronger in the power and vigor of the Lord. Before I left Korea, I bought many copies of the Book of Mormon. I would fly to Nepal with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I would give to others freely, for Jesus said, “… Rely freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:7). However, I was detained by one of the airlines agent because of excess baggage. I gave her all of the money that I had to pray for the chase of excess baggage but I was still short. I pleaded with her saying “l am carrying the restoration gospel to save the lost at any cost. ” But what I was said fell in deaf ears. They did not hear any thing. Then, my flight was fully canceled. Then Satan whispered in my ear, “Leave all of these Book of Mormon boxes in trash. Then, you will fly to your house instantly. ” But I answered him saying, “Get thee hence Satan.

My Lord Jesus Christ in the the Book of Mormon is true! ” Satan wanted me to fall back into hell with him. He tried so hard to try my faith again. He even misinterpreted the Scripture in Matthew 1 1 Inspired Version and/or King James Version Matthew 1 1:28. Satan told me to leave my load or my burden as well as my labor with the Book of Mormon. Again, I rebuked Satan vehemently by saying, “Get thee hence Satan! ” I would not turn away from my belief in God and the Book of Mormon. A very sweet peace came over me and took control of my heart. I knew that my God the Almighty Living One and the Holy One of Israel would solve my problem.

I remembered how the faith of the Brother of Jarred was so powerful that mount Serine was removed. Likewise, in my heart and my soul, I garnered that same faith also . I took the baggage to a corner of the room. I knelt down and began supplicating my Lord in humility. “Heavenly Father, if the true gospel restores into thy heaven, please allow me to fly with these books of Mormon as it contains thy everlasting gospel. I Ana no sooner Sal a tense words, when sensually someone Deanna me sake are you doing here? ” I replied: “l am praying to the heavenly Father the God Almighty if I can take His gospel baggage into Nepal. He asked: “Are you a Nepal man? ” I answered: “Yes my friend. ” Then he spoke with me in Nepal language. He said: “I do not want you to be embarrassed. I want you to fly with your gospel books. ” Then he paused and said: “Why did that lady at the counter stop you? ” I said: “Because I did not have enough money to pay for the excess baggage. ” He asked: “How much money do you really need? ” “Just $85,” I said hopefully. Encouragingly, he replied: “It is not a problem. So let us go to the counter. ” He paid the dues and assisted me to fly with the everlasting gospel to Nepal.

Thus and therefore, I bear this testimony that the Book of Mormon is a true and it came forth by the power and authority of true and living God. Is it were not so, I won’t eave had an instant answer to my prayer at the airport in Korea. I prayed in faith and God answered my humble prayer immediately. He performed a miracle right before my eyes. Perhaps, the man whom God sent could have been angel. By this time, I am blessed by reading the Book of Mormon. Consequently, we translated this Book of Mormon into Nepal language also so that many will have restored life and gospel abundantly.

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Revelation 14:6 HOW I AM SOLD OUT TO JESUS I was born in Hinduism highest caste. My father and forefathers were Hindu high priests In ten Royal Palace AT Nepal ten only Haul Oklahoman In ten world B although I first worshipped Krishna and studied the Veda, Gait, and several Hindu scriptures and labored diligently in the Hindu religion, I felt strangely empty of truth.

I saw quickly that the Hindu religion with its emphasis on Karma and the endless cycle of reincarnation was not an answer to eternal life. I searched to find one true God. My quest took me from Hinduism to Buddhism, Lanais, Jansenism, Shinto’s, Salamis, Schism, Taoism, Judaism, and all kind of religions Beside the religions, I have studied palmistry, astrology, soothsaying, hypnotism enchanting, snake charming, magic, necromancers, psychic reading, and all of the various offerings of idolatry, but found-them all deadly and wanting.

Still I didn’t know about the life giving gospel of Jesus Christ. Finally after Studying in Nepal and India, I founded a Holy Bible and began to study about Jesus Christ in 1980. I discovered the truth of Jesus that I am not righteous Just because I was born a Brahmins. In fact, I was sinner. Then I discovered that Jesus is loving and forgiver of sins and His reward is eternal life. I found Jesus in my heart when I knelt down and prayed confessing as sins and by asking His mercy and power of blood to clean my sins away.

THUS, I accepted Jesus as my personal savior on May AS, 1981 without any human help. Then, I knew I didn’t choose Him but He chose and ordained me to teach His truth. After my discovery of Jesus and His truth, I was disowned by my parents because of my conversion from Hinduism high profile priesthood caste to Christianity. On July 27, 1989, I was visiting to a hospital where my father was declared to die any minute due to lung cancer. I got a chance to speak about Jesus to has. He heard the message so well. He believed the Word of God “Arise, take your bed, and go home. Then, he left the hospital trusting in the Lord completely. Then, he broke down all the Hindu idols in the house and in temple. Thus, he never died of cancer. He is still alive. Then, by a continuous praying, love, faith, and by studying the truth–my mother, brothers, and sister also believed Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Thus, me and my house continued serving the Lord Joshua 24:15). In the result, many of our gibbers and relatives also believed gospel one by one. Then, God’s work was started by opening new fellowships in Nepal.

I searched Scripture daily poring over the words that became life unto life. I took advanced evangelical training in Singapore and studied theology in Korea. I represented Nepal in International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists at Amsterdam which was sponsored by Billy Graham Association in 1986. Beside this, studied advanced Greek and Hebrew to translate Bible into Nepal language. It took three and half years to transmits the Bible. Consequently, I had to face prison cause of Bible translation into Hindu people’s national language, Nepal’.

HINDU RELIGION Dennis E. Leber Axia College RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD (AXIA) HUM/130 NAOMI DOUMBIA AUG 14, 2007 The Hindu religion The Hindu religion is strongly dependent on the Hindu philosophy and in addition, has inculcated a lot of rituals and practices. The Hindu religion has 333 million gods; this is because the Hindu philosophy believes that every human being is God himself. This acceptance of the multiplicity of the Supreme Being in many forms is the hallmark of the Hindu religion. The Hindu religion is also very assimilative and has accepted many faiths into it.

The Hindu religion also allows religious freedom and does not enforce the edicts of the religion on anyone. In fact, Hinduism teaches that a person, in order to attain liberation from the worldly bondage, must select the religion that he is comfortable in. Hence, it accepts the existence of all other religions as a means to realize God. The Hindu religion like other religions also believes in the battle between the good and the evil although at a lower level of existence. The religion preaches that man must advance himself through successive levels of knowledge in his quest for the final truth.

Hence, the concept of the Devas, or the good deities and the Asuras, the demoniac characters are very important in the Hindu traditions. Many folklores revolve around the battles between the Devas and the Asuras. The important Godheads in the Hindu tradition are Brahma, Vishnu and Siva who correspond with the three ‘Gunas’ or qualities of Satva (pureness), Rajas(action), and Tamas(darkness and inactivity). Man is a mixture of the three gunas and the inherent nature of a person will depend on the predominance of the three gunas in him. The Hindu Social Life

The Hindu social life is caste based, which was originally devised for the division of labor. Hence the Hindu society has the Brahmins, the highest class who performs rituals and is supposed to be the most educated in terms of religion. Then comes the Kshatriyas who are the warrior and ruling class. Following them in importance comes the Vaishyas, who are the business class. Last comes the Shudras who serve the upper class. People who do not come in these four classes were previously classified as the untouchables who had to do menial jobs in the society and were looked down upon.

Women were given important position in the family even though her importance in public affairs was greatly curtailed during the later years of Hindu history The Hindu way of life has many beliefs that were perhaps a means that offered social balance in the society. For example, the norm of sacrifice and the mandatory rules on feeding others helped to provide food for the needy. Similarly, the social practices were seen as the physical manifestations of the philosophical edicts that Hinduism preached.

For example the practice of sacrifice to the fire is a physical manifestation of the philosophic ritual of giving up everything for the sake of understanding the truth. Similarly, the belief that the confluence of the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi is holy, is due to the Tantric belief that the meeting point of the three nerve centers in the body awakens the Kundalini, which is the seat of power in the human body. The desire for liberation from earthly existence Dharma is the duty that you have to fulfill in life through your placement. Karma states that you will reap what you sow.

And the desire for liberation from earthly existence is achieved through the combination of the two aforementioned methods. Life & death has a cycle. The cycle is wrought with earthly pleasures & pain. Your intention is to be free from materialistic desires because they are temporary. Only the soul is eternal. So by meditating, fulfilling your duties, and by eventually ridding yourself of your karma; you are free to exist as soul and be one with the universe as opposed to continuing the cycle of birth & death. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hindu drawn from Aug, 2007 Origin of Hinduism, About. com drawn from Aug 2007

Capalad, Raul Miguel C. January 3, 2012 2JRN2 I. During the Philippine pre-colonial period, the basic political subdivision was known as the barangay, which is ruled by a datu or “village chief. ” Within the barangay are multiple political divisions, the highest of which is the nobles. The nobles, which include the Datu and his bloodline, are the highest figures in the barangay. The second in rank is the freemen. The freemen are the merchants, fishermen, farmers, and all other workers within the barangay. The lowest division is the slaves.

The slaves are divided into two categories, the aliping namamahay, who stay at their owner’s homes, and the aliping sanguigilid, who have their own home but still work for a master. II. Colonialism is, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is “a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another”. In the perspective of the Philippines’ past political, historical and social climate, his can somehow be viewed as a positive thing because the Philippines back then was still severely underdeveloped.

However if viewed from a moral standpoint, this is a negative concept because it restricts the country (i. e. the Philippines) its natural ability to develop, grow, and prosper on its own. III. The Philippines’ cultures and traditions are very rich and diverse in every sense of the word. This trait can be attributed to the many colonizers that colonized the Philippines, and also the tourists ang businessmen that entered the country. One the the biggest contributors were the Chinese. The Chinese people introduced many things to us in the categories of food, entertainment, and many more.

They introduced the use of fireworks, their unique cuisine (like the noodles), porcelain ware, umbrellas, manufacture of gunpowder, and certain mining methods superstitions, etc. The loose style of dressing, like the sleeved jackets and loose trouser of the Muslim Filipino women and the use of flip-flops, are of Chinese influence as well. They are also big players in our economy, with one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the Philippines being of Chinese descent. They have been in the Philippines for a very long time and they have been through what everyone else in the Philippines has been through.

As a result, many Filipino surnames are Chinese, like Cojuangco, Lim, Tan, Uy, and Tongco, among others. India also has similar contributions. In cuisine is the making and consumption of the chicken curry, which has an Indian influence. They also introduced Hinduism into the Philippines, although only a small portion of the population practice Hinduism. Our language also has Indian influence. Here are some examples Tagalog * budhi which means “conscience” in Sanskrit * dukha which means “one who suffers” in Sanskrit * guro which means “teacher” in Sanskrit * bathala which means “supreme God” in Sanskrit lalkambini which means “princess” in Sanskrit Kapampangan: * kalma which means “fate” in Sanskrit * damla which means “divine law” in Sanskrit * mantala which means “magic formulas” in Sanskrit * sampalataya which means “faith” in Sanskrit The wearing of a skirt and turban (sarong and putong; respectively) also came from India. The great hindu epic Mahabarata is Indian. The Arabs’s greatest contribution to the Philippines is Islam, particularly in Mindanao. The sarimanok design, which has been used in a certain network in the Philippines, is also of Arabic influence.

Hinduism Hinduism sees to put an origin for all things in the natural world. Everything must be treated with respect and seen as a part of ones self. It is observed that everything in the universe was created by Brahmas, including himself. At the time of creation, Brahmas emanated outward Into the world and became the world. He became every rock, animal, river, and anything else we see. Stories of the creation and all the gods and events that follow, are passed down In the Purina’s and the Veda, through the scripture or crust and smart.

Crust is the scripture while smart is the tradition. These are passed down with great precision as the Veda. Furthermore, Purina is all the myths and legends of Hinduism that are widespread unlike the crust and smart. In the Hindu religion, there are three main gods, Brahmas, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahmas Is the creator, Vishnu Is the sustainer, and Shiva is the destroyer and regenerator. Abraham’s doings are done and world has already been created so he Is not as worshipped, while Vishnu and Shiva are often seen with their consorts as there many avatars in the Purina’s.

These 3 main gods spread out to millions of efferent avatars while at the same time being all one. Since Brahmas created the universe and is the universe at the same time, he is all of the gods together. Whom one chooses to worship whether Is be Brahmas or an avatar of any of the other gods, is completely up to the follower. Brahmas, Shiva, and Vishnu are seen as their avatars that further represent a different more specific aspect of their greater being. These avatars are then worshipped in ceremonies called pups where blessing are received. This includes prayer, offerings, and meditation to become in harmony with the gods.

What does It mean to be human? In the Hindu religion every living being has a soul and a position on the circle of life. After death the soul is reincarnated in another life in accordance to how well dharma was followed in the past life. The person may be reborn in the caste system or even lower amongst the insects or untouchables. Where one is reborn is determined by how well dharma was followed and if they lived their life positively with good karma. The caste system is broken Into 4 sections; the Brahmins, the starkly, the valleys, and the sutras.

There Is as well a 5th group, the untouchables which are outside of the caste system unworthy of it. The Brahmins are the highest in society and are the priests and teachers of the others. Brahmins study the Veda and perform the sacred rituals. Next are asterisk, which tend to be the royals of the society and the Visa whom are the back bone of society as business people, farmers and merchants. Then there are sutras who are the laborers and servants. Lastly, there are the untouchables that are left to the worst conditions of life often Each caste is expected to follow dharma closely to achieve atman.

Atman is the true self, when one realizes that everything is one in the same. When atman is achieved, the soul becomes at peace with Brahmins and is removed from the cycle of rebirth. Actions are Judged by the extrasensory karma. Karma cannot be perceived but is a universal tally on the good and bad someone performs. Karma then dictates reincarnation and how close one is with atman. The higher up one goes through the caste system the closer they get to peace within themselves. How do humans interact with the sacred? The human interacts with the sacred amongst all levels in the Hindu religion.

This can be achieved in many different ways; firstly, through sacrifice, purity, and ritual. As previously mentioned, many Hindus practice pups but as well there are festivals and celebrations. The pups allows the individual to connect to the gods and goddesses but then there are holidays that are celebrated among the community on a daily basis to show that everyone is on the same path. As well, the high priests perform sacrifices to the gods, procuring blessings and happiness. Each individual attempts to keep a ritual purity. A cleanness, which will help them, become closer to the gods.

This is sometimes similar to hygienic cleanliness but goes beyond that as to avoid anything that may stain their karma, such as change since Brahmas means permanence. Secondly, there is the path of devotion where the devotee focuses his energies towards a specific god or deity. This can be observed when temples are built in the names of an avatar of one of the gods and many of the rituals performed. A devotee may draw strength from Just being with the statue of his deity. In addition, mantras may be performed to the gods bringing the performer closer to the gods.

Finally, there is yoga. This is the path of knowledge where through meditation and understanding, one can strive to achieve atman and connection with the gods. Yoga is the development of the physical and spiritual connection towards the goal of chivalry. Chivalry is the experience of ultimate timelessness and peace. How does the sacred become a community? Sacred becomes the community through the many rituals and festivals performed by the people. As Hindus go through life there are many rituals that are performed at different points in life.

In these rituals, the sacred becomes part of the life and community of the people. After birth at around the age of 8-12, a second birth is performed where a boys head is shaved only leaving a topknot at the top of the head. At this point, the child has entered the time of learning. From here on the child will learn of the Hindu life and ways. This is when he gains many responsibilities and is now looked at differently by the community then he was before the ritual. Marriage is another important ritual faced in the life of a Hindu.

Typically, the parents arrange the marriage. Marriages occur within caste systems and mixing of castes is seen as a at both the husband’s and wife’s house. Upon death, loved ones clean the body and it is then wrapped. Very few Hindus are buried as most are cremated. A “death priest” leads a ceremony at the foot of a ever where the body is released adrift while burning. Any ashes that are left are collected and then released at a later time amongst the waters. Anyone who has encountered the dead must later purify oneself and cleanse of the dead.

The death priests who were once Brahmas can be moved to untouchables because they are always around death. Part 2: Religion and geography: Briefly describe how Hinduism interacts with geography. Hinduism believes that all things originated from the same source; Brahmas. Brahmas then became the rocks, the rivers, and the mountains. These places are all part of Brahmas and all holy. The rivers are often used for rituals. Upon death the dead is burned and set adrift in the river. Further, their ashes are also dispersed into a river at a later time.

Some rivers hold even higher recognition such as the Ganges, which is thought to bring life, rejuvenation, and blessing. Many people come down to the river to bathe and wash themselves of their sins, to be cleansed. It is also deemed the best place to be cremated at death. Part 3: Religion and Internal Conflict: Briefly discuss how Hinduism interacts with outside forces such as science, technology or religion. Hinduism does not interact well with outside forces. This is so, because the meaning of life in the Hindu religion is becoming at peace with the world, and realizing that everything is one.

This is very difficult to do in an ever-changing world where technology pushes boundaries where nothing stays the same; this is a direct contradiction to Brahmas that is eternal permanence. On the other hand, Hinduism will openly accept other religions as other paths of devotions. Since the three main gods have so many different avatars the many other gods of the other religions are seen as different avatars of the same gods. Buddha is just another avatar or Vishnu and has his own devotee in Buddhism.