10 Interesting Facts About Hinduism

The world is vast. So vast, in fact, that there are over one billion Hindus around the world.

Most are concentrated in Sri Lanka, Nepal and India.

Since India seems like it’s a world away, there are some misunderstandings about the religion.

For instance, Hinduism is not technically a religion. And did you know Hindus don’t believe in millions of gods?

With that in mind, here are twenty interesting facts about Hinduism.

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. The earliest documents on Hinduism date back to 5,500 BCE.

No one knows – or cares to know – who started Hinduism. There is no one founder of Hinduism; it’s a way of life. The religion has evolved throughout the years and will continue to do so.

Time is separated into four yugas. At the end of the fourth yuga, all humans will die in an apocalypse, and a new era will come about. Each yuga lasts thousands of years, with one cycle lasting 4.32 billions years. Right now, we’re living in the second half of the final yuga. But don’t worry – the apocalypse won’t come for another 300 years.

With the concept of yuga, Hindus believe in a circular concept of time, rather than linear. This explains why reincarnation is a central tenant of Hinduism.

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. More than 1 billion people consider themselves Hindus, and 85% of all Hindus live in India.

Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world, the “mother of all languages.” Every Hindu book is written in Sanskrit, and it is said that Sanskrit is the language of the demi-Gods.

Speaking of gods, Hinduism is not a true polytheism. Hindus believe in one god, Brahma, who is manifested in thousands of other gods. It’s up to each Hindu which god they worship.

Hindus have three main gods named The Trimurti. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, and Shiva destroys the world in order for the world to recreate.

Basic concepts of mathematics, like the number zero, the decimal system, infinity and pi, were first used by Hindus.