Indian Religions
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Indian religions, sometimes also termed as Dharmic faiths or Dharmic religions (Dharma), are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism (2 schools Vedanta and Yoga, and 7 denominations Ayyavazhi, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Smartism, and Śrauta), Jainism (Digambara, Śvētāmbara), Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) and Sikhism. These religions are also all classified as Eastern religions. Although Indian religions are connected throughout the history of India, they constitute a wide range of religious communities and are not confined to the Indian subcontinent.
Evidence attesting to prehistoric religion in the Indian subcontinent derives from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings. The Harappan people of the Indus Valley Civilisation, which lasted from 3300 to 1300 BCE (mature period, 2600–1900 BCE), had an early urbanized culture which predates the Vedic religion.
The documented history of Indian religions begins with the historical Vedic religion, and the religious practices of the early Indo-Iranians, which were collected and later redacted into the Vedas. The period of the composition, redaction and commentary of these texts is known as the Vedic period, which lasted from roughly 1750–500 BCE. The philosophical portions of the Vedas were summarized in Upanishads, which are commonly referred to as Vedānta, variously interpreted to mean either the “last chapters, parts of the Veda” or “the object, the highest purpose of the Veda”. The early Upanishads all predate the Common Era, five of the eleven principal Upanishads were composed in all likelihood before 6th century BCE, and contain the earliest mentions of Yoga and Moksha.
Diwali Festival of Lights Hinduism
Common concepts in Indian religions
Yoga class presenting various asanas.
Articles on Buddhism
Main articles
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Buddhist practices
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Moral discipline and precepts
Topics related to Buddhism
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Vajrayana texts
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Mahayana texts
Theravada texts
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Manuscripts of 18th-century Hindu texts in a regional language Odiya
Articles about Hinduism
Essence of Hinduism
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Concept of God
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Worship (rituals)
Hindu people
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Other terms and concepts
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History
Politics
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Hindu Culture
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Depiction of Siddha Shila as per Jain cosmology which is the abode of infinite Siddhas
Jainism
Main articles
History
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Practices
Scriptures and texts
Traditions and sects
Art and Architecture
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The Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple).
Sikhism
Main articles
History
Beliefs and Philosophy
Practices
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Scriptures and texts
Traditions and sects
Comparison with other religions
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