Founded around 4000 years ago, Hinduism was the first religion in the subcontinent and is considered amongst the oldest in the world. Hindus believe in a set of ideas called the dharma, or truth. According to Hindu philosophy, all living beings have an atma (soul) that is reborn several times, in both human and animal form. The karma (actions) of people in one life will decide his/her fate in the next life.

At first glance Hinduism appears to have numerous gods, though ultimately they are all considered to be different appearences of the supreme spirit, Brahma the Creator. The other two most important incarnations are Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. These gods are worshiped in a temple (known as a mandir in Hindi or a Devalaya in Sanskrit), most of which are elaborately decorated with carvings and sculptures. Each temple has its own priest(s) who carry out the puja (prayers) and rituals.

The Ganges river is considered to be holy by most Hindus, who believe that bathing in it will wash away their earthly sins. Millions of pilgrims take a dip in the holy water from the Varanasi ghats (the steps along the river-bank) and take some Ganga Jal (holy water) with them back as a blessing. Haridwar is another auspicious place for a dip.

The majority of Hindus live in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are small minorities in North America, Europe and the Middle East. Nepal is the only Hindu state in the world, although a significant minority of Buddhists live there as well.
Common images and symbols
    * Om. The sacred syllable that represents God. It is often prefixed to prayers and mantras. It is pronounced as A-U-M. According to Hindu philosophy, the letter A represents creation, when all existence issued forth from Brahma's golden nucleus; the letter U refers to Vishnu the god of the middle who preserves this world by balancing Brahma on a lotus above himself; and the letter M symbolizes the final part of the cycle of existence, when Vishnu falls asleep and Brahma has to breathe in so that all existing things have to disintegrate.

    * Swastika. Derived from the Sanskrit term for well-being, the Swastika is an equilateral cross. Each of its arms is bent right angles in either the left or right direction. It is often decorated with a dot in each quadrant. Denotes purity of soul and truth.

Respect
    * Do not disrespect or step on anything made of paper. Books are associated with Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge).
    * If you decide to attend a prayer, remember to accept the flowers with your right hand, or with both hands.
    * Take off your shoes before entering a temple.
    * Do not bring non-vegetarian food or alcohol into the premises of a temple. In some cities like Haridwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi, alcohol and meat are banned.
    * Many Hindu temples do not allow non-Hindus inside certain parts of the temple complex. Remember that these are places of worship, not tourist attractions.

Notable sites
Below are some of the most notable Hindu sacred sites in the sub-continent
    * Char Dham, Uttarakhand, India — a pilgrimage of four towns
    * Dwarka, Gujarat, India — The legendary city of Dwarka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna.
    * Ellora and Ajanta, Maharashtra, India — spectacular rock-cut cave monasteries and temples, holy place for the Buddhists, Jains and Hindus.
    * Haridwar and Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India — spiritual twin cities, the Gateway to the God, and the Yoga capital of the globe respectively.
    * Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India — site of the spectacular Meenakshi Temple
    * Nashik, Maharashtra, India — a temple town in the West
    * Jagannath Puri, Orissa, India — temple town in the East
    * Shirdi, Maharashtra, India — the site of a temple dedicated to Saibaba
    * Somnath, Gujarat, India — Somnath temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlings, is known as 'the Shrine Eternal', as although the temple has been destroyed six times it has been rebuilt every single time.
    * Swamithoppe, Tamil Nadu, India — the religious headquarters and the most sacred site of Ayyavazhi.
    * Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India — one of the most sacred places for Hindus with Golden Temple on Seven Hills.
    * Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India — is home to Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, and the Kumbh Mela religious festival held every twelve years.
    * Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India — considered the most sacred Hindu city, located on the banks of the Ganges, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities of the world.
    * Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India — the birth place of Krishna.

Festivals
Diwali - the festival of lights
    * Holi, March. The festival of colors, Holi celebrates the coming of spring. A huge bonfire is held in the evening prior to the festival.
    * Diwali, October/November. The festival of lights. Celebrated with diyas, candles, colorful lights, sweets and plenty of fireworks.
    * Dussehra, October/November. Held on the last day of Durga Puja. Celebrates the victory of good over evil. Huge effigies of the mythological characters Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad are stuffed with fireworks and burned.
    * Janmashtami, August/September. Celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Marked by devotional songs and dances.
    * Khumbh Mela, dates vary. This Hindu festival occurs every 3 years and alternates between Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. None of the events are small, but the Maha Khumbh Mela (held every 12 years at Allahabad) is the largest gathering on Earth, attended by millions of bathers and observers.
    * Mahashivaratri, March. Dedicated to Lord Shiva. At night, leaves are offered to the idol.
    * Ganesh Chaturthi, August/September. According to legend, Lord Ganesh was born on this day. It is at its most elaborate in Maharashtra.
    * Rathyatra, around July. Known As the "Car Festival" and dedicated to Sri Krishna. It is celebrated all over India, though the main activities are held in Puri, where a gigantic chariot is drawn through the town by thousands of devotees.