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U R L A N D ELsisbernatriyal LEY H I N D U I S M
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From the triumphant Easter hymns of Christianity to the colorful Holi
festival of Hinduism, religious practices around the globe are as diverse
as the people who perform them. Understanding World Religions and
Beliefs provides a detailed look at these enduring pillars of human
BY SUSAN BRADLEY
culture. Examine each religion’s history, its founders, and its modern-day
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practices while exploring challenges such as prejudice and conflicting
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factions within a single religion. Gain deeper insights into major faith
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UNDERSTANDING BUDDHISM UNDERSTANDING JUDAISM N
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UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY UNDERSTANDING SCIENTOLOGY S
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UNDERSTANDING HINDUISM UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM UNDERSTANDING THE NONRELIGIOUS
ISBN 978-1-5321-1425-0 S
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9 781532 114250 9 0 0 0 0 U N DOE RR SLT ADN DRINNE DL IB GE ILIOE F S
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UNDERSTANDING
H I N D U I S M
BY SUSAN BRADLEY
CONTENT CONSULTANT
Abhishek Ghosh
Assistant Professor
Religious Studies and Liberal Studies
Grand Valley State University
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An Imprint of Abdo PEsusebnltiisahl Linibgra r|y abdopublishing.com U N DOE RR SLT ADN DRINNE DL IB GE ILIOE F S
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ABDOPUBLISHING.COM
Published by Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2019 by Abdo
Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher. Essential Library™ is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing.
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota
032018
092018
Cover Photo: iStockphoto
Interior Photos: Johnny Adolphson/Shutterstock Images, 4–5; Don Despain/Alamy, 6–7; SM Rafiq/Moment/Getty Images, 12–13;
Album/Florilegius/Newscom, 18; Deepak Sharma/AP Images, 20–21; Shutterstock Images, 22–23, 29, 36; Sean Heatley/Shutterstock
Images, 26–27; The Print Collector/Print Collector/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, 30; iStockphoto, 32–33, 40, 90–91, 94–95; Narayan
Maharjan/NurPhoto/Sipa USA/AP Images, 42–43; Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images, 47; St Petersburg Times/ZumaPress/Newscom, 49;
Olaf Protze/LightRocket/Getty Images, 50–51; James A. Mills/AP Images, 55; Burhaan Kinu/Hindustan Times/AP Images, 57; AP Images,
59; Niranjan Shrestha/AP Images, 60–61, 70–71; Bartosz Hadyniak/iStockphoto, 63; Aijaz Rahi/AP Images, 66–67; Rajesh Kumar Singh/
AP Images, 72–73; Pete Burana/Shutterstock Images, 75; Creative Touch Imaging Ltd/ZumaPress/Newscom, 78–79; Ajit Solanki/AP
Images, 80–81; Mahesh Kumar A./AP Images, 84–85; Blair Seitz/Science Source, 89; Dorann Weber/Moment Mobile/Getty Images,
98–99
Editor: Marie Pearson
Series Designer: Maggie Villaume
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2017961409
PUBLISHER’S CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Name: Bradley, Susan, author.
Title: Understanding Hinduism / by Susan Bradley.
Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Publishing, 2019. | Series: Understanding world religions and beliefs | Includes online
resources and index.
Identifiers: ISBN 9781532114250 (lib.bdg.) | ISBN 9781532154089 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Hinduism--Doctrines--Juvenile literature. | Hinduism--Customs and practices--Juvenile literature. | World religions--
Juvenile literature. | Religious belief--Juvenile literature.
Classification: DDC 294.5--dc23
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER SEVEN
FESTIVAL OF COLORS 4 PERSONAL DEVOTION 60
CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER EIGHT
ORIGINS OF HINDUISM 12 FESTIVALS AND
HOLIDAYS 70
CHAPTER THREE
EVOLUTION AND CHAPTER NINE
COLONIALISM 22 CHALLENGES 80
CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER TEN
ONE GOD, MANY, HINDUISM PRESENT
OR NONE? 32 AND FUTURE 90
CHAPTER FIVE Essential Facts 100
KEY CONCEPTS AND
Glossary 102
CUSTOMS 42
Additional Resources 104
Source Notes 106
CHAPTER SIX
Index 110
REFORMING HINDUISM 50
About the Author 112
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C
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FESTIVAL OF
COLORS
Traffic was heavy on Interstate 15 south of Provo, Utah, in late March
2016. Dozens of buses joined the line of cars headed for the small city
of Spanish Fork, Utah. As the parking lot of the Radha Krishna Temple
filled with vehicles, early arrivers made their way to the main stage
area. Dancers and musicians assembled on the platform to prepare
for their performances. Meanwhile, some festivalgoers circulated
through the crowd, carrying signs that read “free hugs” as others
purchased packages of brightly colored powder.
Once the expected crowd of more than 35,000 had gathered,
Hindu yogi Lokah Bhakti took the stage to lead the group in yoga.1
Before long, festivalgoers became restless with anticipation. Temple
president Caru Das Adhikary approached the microphone. “This
will be a historic moment for us all,” he said. “This is the twentieth
anniversary of the Holi Festival here. Let’s kick off 2016 right!”2
5
The colors used in Holi celebrations represent the colors of spring.
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The Radha Krishna Temple
welcomes more than 40,000 visitors
a year.
With that, tens of thousands of festivalgoers were invited to
throw the contents of their color packets into the air, causing
an explosive rainbow cloud of hues to settle on the crowd.
A brilliant array of colored dust covered men, women, and
children, who hugged and cheered in celebration. Onstage,
women twirled and swayed with the music. Thousands of
crowd members joyfully mimicked their movements.
Known as the “World’s Happiest Transformational
Event,” the annual Holi Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork
commemorates a revered story in the Hindu religion. The
spring festival of Holi is held to honor the story of Prahlada, son
of the villain Hiranyakashipu. Prahlada worshipped one of the
primary Hindu gods, Vishnu, instead of his father. To punish his
son for turning against him, Hiranyakashipu enlisted the help
of his wicked sister, Holika. Holika was known to be immune
to fire, so Hiranyakashipu lit a bonfire and had Holika sit on
the flames, clutching her nephew, Prahlada. Unexpectedly,
Prahlada emerged from the fire with no ill effects, while
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Holika was consumed by the fire. The Holi festival,
named after the villainous Holika, celebrates the
HOLI CONTROVERSY triumph of good over evil. The festival of colors
The Holi festival in Spanish Fork has been a commemorates both the colorful flames that
source of controversy for devout Hindus. It is
spared Prahlada and the bright hues marking the
held near a university owned by the Church
coming of spring. Holi is also celebrated to honor
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The
students from this university make up the the love shared by the Hindu god Krishna and
largest percentage of attendees. Many of these the goddess Radha. Some Hindus also observe
students do not know the significance of the
the birthday of a mystic from the early 1500s,
festival. One student who attended said, “To
Chaitanya, during the Holi festival.
me, it was just some big party.”3 This ignorance
frustrates some Hindus, who want to preserve The festival in Spanish Fork, acknowledged as
the spiritual significance of the festival. Other
the world’s biggest Holi festival, is one of several
Hindus aren’t bothered by it, saying that even
Holi celebrations across the southwestern United
the festivals in India have largely become tourist
attractions. Temple President Adhikary argues States. The Utah location draws revelers from
that the event encourages the most important
around the world, though many attendees are
religious ideas: loving God and loving people.
Mormons from nearby universities and towns.
Adhikary says, “People don’t care who you are.
People don’t care where you come from. They’re
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