India: Hinduism

So, as I stated before, India is an extremely diverse country; one of the ways the country is diverse is in the multiple religions that are practiced there. In fact, four major world religions were started in India: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Along with these four religions, Islam and Christianity are also practiced in India. 

India's majority religion, which is practiced by over 80% of the people residing in this country, is Hinduism. Hinduism itself is an extremely diverse religion. Hindus believe people should have freedom of belief and worship. Different Hindus have different beliefs of gods spanning from monotheism to polytheism and even atheism. Hindus understand that there are many different religious beliefs. There are many different gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion that are worshiped by different people in different places. The oldest scripture of Hindu, the Rig Veda, has what is called the "Poetry of Creation." This is a hymn  that symbolizes Hindu beliefs about creation, and I think that while we are in the Hindu majority country, we should take sometime to read this hymn:

There was neither non-existence nor existence then.
There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred?
Where?
In whose protection?
Was there water, bottlemlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning,
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that One arose through the power of heat.

Desire came upon that One in the beginning,
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom
found the bond of existence and non-existence.

Their cord was extended across.
Was there below?
Was there above?
There were seed-placers, there were powers.
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.

Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen
- perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not -
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps He does not know.

Since we've learned a little about Hinduism and it's importance to the culture of India, I think we should visit a Hindu temple while we are here. This temple  is known as the Kapaleeshwarar temple, and is an extremely important temple located in southern India. Now, while were are visiting this temple, it is important to know a few basic things about visiting Hindu temples. It is important to dress appropriately. Keep in mind that this is a holy place for many of the people India, so please make sure to wear long pants or a long skirt and a long sleeve shirt. Before entering the temple, it is important that we all remove our shoes and leave them outside the temple. In some temples, leather is not allowed also, so we should probably leave that behind just in case. While there, make sure not to take any pictures without permission, as different temples have different guidelines on what pictures people are allowed to take. Finally, it is important to keep in mind that we are guests, and therefore many not be allowed in certain parts of the temple. We must enjoy what we are allowed to explore and be respectful of this religion and culture.

India: Taj Mahal

So, I must say, one of the nice things about traveling around the world from the comfort of my couch is that I don't have to worry about logistics. If we were traveling around the world for real, we would have to carefully plan out where we were going to go when, and make sure we travel in order to make efficient use of our time and money. We would not, for example, travel from Iceland to India without stopping at other nations along the way. After all, we wouldn't want to backtrack. But, since we are doing this from the comforts of our homes, that's exactly what we are going to do. Our next stop is going to be India!

India is a country in South Asia. The capital of India is New Delhi. At the 2011 census, the population of India was 1,210,193,422, and it continues to grow at a fast rate. Right now, India is the second most populated country in the world, behind China. It is believed, however, that India will pass China by the year 2025. India and its culture were long ago affected by many of the trade routs that went through it. It is an extremely diverse country with a lot to see and learn about. There are numerous different religions practiced in this country and a number of languages spoken. The two official and most widely spoken languages are Hindi and English. However, there are many regional languages that are also recognized, and it is believed that there are several hundred different languages spoken in different parts of the country.

I am extremely excited for this trip! India has so much rich culture and so many wonderful things to see. It is, however, a little overwhelming too. We could spend months in India just traveling, and we still probably wouldn't be able to see everything.

We should start our journey with one of the most well known attractions in India, the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a large mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was completed in 1653 after 21 years of construction by thousands of people. The Taj Mahal was built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death. After his death, Shah Jahan was also buried there next to his wife.

The Taj Mahal attracts several million tourists a year, so we should expected it to be rather crowded when we visit. It is especially busy in October and November as it gets cooler in India, so the "busy season" is probably starting. The grounds are open from 6am to 7pm Monday-Thursday, so it's a good thing were visiting today! It is also open on Fridays from 12-2 so that Muslims can visit the mosque to pray. Please keep in mind that there are strict rules on what can be brought into the the Taj Mahal. The only things allowed are water in a clear bottle, small video cameras, regular cameras and cell phones. Women are also allowed to carry small purses. Please make sure to pack light for this trip, so we don't have any problems getting in!