The Word Hindu

A long time ago, when people came to visit India, they had to cross a large river. That river was called Sindhu. These people could not say the word Sindhu properly. They called it Hindu instead. Then they started calling the people who lived across the river Hindus. This is how Hindus got their name. The religion of the Hindus is now called Hinduism. A lot of Hindus still live in India, but many have moved to other parts of the world.

The Symbol Om

Founders

Founders of religions are the first people who start teaching that religion. Every religion has either one or more founders. Hinduism has hundreds of founders who have taught Hinduism in different times. The special name given to these founders is rishi. These rishis can actually experience God. Rishis can be young or old, male or female. Here is a picture of an ancient rishi and a picture of a rishi who lived only fifty years ago called Ramana Maharshi

Hindu Prayers

The main Hindu prayer is called the Gayatri. The prayer is written in an ancient language called Sanskrit