RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD Part-1

HINDUISM


Founder            : Of divine origin

Date founded    : 1500 BC, India


Beliefs           

• Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh
• Authority of the Vedas
• Rebirth
• Soul emanicipated by the Three Margas -- duty, Knowledge and devotion

Sacred texts       : The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavadgita and 
                         The Ramayana

Place of worship : Mandir (Temple)

Sacred places     : Ayodhya, Mathura, Amarnath, Hardwar, Varanasi, Tirupati,
                          Rameshwaram, Kedarnath

Followed in        : Concentrated in India and Nepal and also in Mauritius, 
                          Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Gyuana and Trinidad 
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ISLAM

Fouder               : Prophet Muhammad (AD 570-632) born in Makha, Saudi 
                          Arabia

Date Founded  : 7th AD , Arabian Peninsula


Beliefs               : 

• Unity of God
• God (ALLAH) as creator and sustainer of the universe
• Prophets are recipients of revelations from God -- They, with God, show a person the 'right way'
• God, always ready to pardon -- repentance and redemption possible

Sacred texts         : The Holy Qur'an (words of God), the Hadis (collection of
                            Prophet's sayings)


Place of worship  : Masjid (Mosque)


Sects                     : Sunnis and Shias


Sacred places      : Makha and Madina


Followed in           : Spread all over the world
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JAINISAM

Founder                : Vardhamana Mahavira (599-527 BC) born in Kunda near 
                           Vaishali, India

Date founded      : 600 BC, India

Beliefs                  : 

• World eternal and uncreated
• All phenomera linked by chain of cause and dffect
• Non-violence to other living creatures (Ahimsa)
• Right conduct, right Knowledge, right belief
• Perfection and purification of soul leads to its emancipation and the ultimate attribute of omniscience

Sacred text          : No specific text

Place of worship : Temple

Sacred place        : Kunda near Vaishali, India

Followed in           : Mainly concentrated in India
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