The religion of Hinduism

HIndu beliefs

• A cycle of birth, death, and rebirth called samsara
• The aim of life is to break free of samsara and reach moksha, or salvation
• They try to reach moksha by leading a good life, following karma and dharma

Brahma

• Ruled over the four points of the compass
• Was an important Hindu god

Vishnu

• The protector of the universe
• Saved the world in ten different avatars
• Rides the eagle Garuda with his wife Lakshmi, goddess of love and beauty

Shiva

• The destroyer of the world
• Shown dancing to represent the flow of energy
• Tramples the dwarf of ignorance underfoot

Vishnu's Avatars

• Matsya, the fish; Kurma, the tortoise; Varaha, the boar
• Narasimha, the man-lion; Vamana, the dwarf; Parashurama, the warrior
• Lord Rama; Lord Krishna and Buddha
• And finally, Kalki, the rider on the white horse who is yet to come

Other gods

• Surya, god of the sun
• Chandra, god of the moon
• Ganesha, god of travelers
• Durga, the warlike form of the goddess Parvati
• +Vishnu's avatars

Festivals/holidays

• Diwali, the festival of lights where they worship Lakshmi in the end of Oct
• Dussehra, September festival to celebrate Durga's victory over the demon
• Raksha Bandhan, a family festival in August where siblings exchange gifts
• Holi